


The Taming of the Black Eagle

by EdamamiTomoe



Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: AU where Rhea has knowledge of what is to come, Age Difference, Angst, Bath Houses, Betrayal, Bondage, Character Death, Choking, Combat, F/F, Fluff, Fondling, Found Family, Heartfelt Moments, Intimacy, Jealousy, Masturbation, Molestation, Plenty of spoilers, Role Reversal, Seizures, Skinship, Slow Burn, Stripping, Violence, btw don't read if you haven't finished the game yet, fantasies about lesbian sex, hey finally porn happened, i'm just doing it preemptively for later on, it's probably a tad too late to tag it like that but, it's really just edelgard's dark fucked up horny fantasies, marked explicit even tho ch1 has no smut, oh yeah also AU where Edelgard has schizophrenia, slight sexual violence, unwanted physical contact
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-01-23
Updated: 2020-04-13
Packaged: 2021-02-27 16:02:05
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 10
Words: 60,556
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22379893
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EdamamiTomoe/pseuds/EdamamiTomoe
Summary: As Edelgard makes plans for her insurrection against the Church of Seiros, she finds herself conflicted by the archbishop Rhea's unusually maternal treatment of her.
Relationships: Edelgard von Hresvelg/Flayn, Edelgard von Hresvelg/My Unit | Byleth, Edelgard von Hresvelg/Rhea
Comments: 199
Kudos: 317





	1. Mother's Lullaby

Edelgard slowly stirs from her slumber, the first bit of her consciousness teased awake by the soft and soothing sound of song, long before her eyelids opened. As she remains only half-awake, the princess finds herself enveloped in a feeling of warmth and comfort of which she has long been bereft, and desperately holds onto this feeling, refusing to put an end to it by opening her eyes. After all, it is perhaps the most gentle sleep she has had in such a long time, undisturbed by nightmares, by the aches and pains of her body, the injuries from her battles…

Ah, that’s right. She was… she was injured. In battle. Edelgard remembers now. The last thing before she passed out… she was in battle, on a mission, with her teacher, whom she defended with her own body… a blow so terrible that she promptly lost consciousness afterwards. Despite this, her body feels just fine… how strange. Could she be in the infirmary right now? If so, the pillow she is resting her head on feels… unusually soft, and warm. And that song? That humming? Manuela was a singer, but, that doesn’t sound quite like her voice… And the hand, stroking her hair…

Something… doesn’t seem right. As the feeling of confusion dawns upon her, Edelgard finds herself slowly being pulled out of her slumber, as much as she struggles against it. She doesn’t quite understand what this is, but it has staved off her nightmares, and wrapped her in a feeling of love that she has not felt in so long, that she simply does not want it to end. No, it’s a feeling she wants to stay wrapped in forever.

Nevertheless, laying on her side for too long can get uncomfortable too. As she slowly opens her eyes and groans, trying to shift in her position, Edelgard is welcomed awake by the last voice she would have expected: that of the archbishop.

“Ah, Edelgard, you’ve awaken.” The archbishop’s voice drifting from above quickly made Edelgard aware that the pillow she has been resting her head upon is actually Rhea’s lap, and yet the princess still dares not move. It is such an unexpected and strange situation that she simply has no idea how to react. “It’s okay, just relax for now, Edelgard. You’re safe here with me…”

Hearing the voice of the woman whom she has been plotting against serenade her with such a comforting tone and such loving words, even going as far as addressing her by her first name, fills Edelgard with feelings she has trouble deciphering. Disgust comes first and foremost, most obviously, knowing that her head is in the lap of the Immaculate One, and confusion is a close second, as the archbishop’s intentions of doing this for her is unknown. But asides from that, there is also… longing.

No, it can’t be longing for the archbishop herself. No matter what she is feeling right now, Edelgard strongly rules that possibility out. It must be… it must be longing for the feeling of comfort and love with which Rhea is regaling her. After all, the feeling of maternal love… of maternal care, it is a feeling that Edelgard remembers only from her earliest childhood. To be given this once again, it’s…

“Why… why am I here?” The princess finally brings herself to ask, keeping her gaze straight ahead, not wanting to look up at the archbishop, afraid that it might be a trap. She can think of no other reasons Rhea would treat her like this, after all, if it is not some kind of trap the Immaculate One has set up for her. “What happened?”

“Edelgard… you saved your professor, you know.” Rhea explains softly, as she continues gingerly combing through the princess’s hair with her fingers, seemingly oblivious to the feelings of disgust and repulsion festering within her. “During your last mission, you demonstrated considerable courage and selflessness, and thrown yourself in harm’s way for the professor’s sake. As… as Byleth is the daughter of someone dear to me, your virtuous act of valor moved me to tears. I felt it only appropriate for me to personally tend to your injuries and bring you solace in return for you having risked your own life for the professor.”

“I… I suppose.” Still shocked by the turn of events, Edelgard has no idea how else she can respond to that. Even if she has saved the life of the daughter of Jeralt, this kind of… intimacy, coming from the archbishop feels… awfully inappropriate. Even not considering her knowledge of Rhea as a beast within, the situation simply feels wrong to her. 

As she’s lost in her own confusion, Edelgard does not even notice how much Rhea is touching her, until the archbishop’s hand has slid from her shoulder down to resting at her hip. The familiarity and intimacy of the act pulls the princess out of her stupor just in time for her to process the tail end of something Rhea has been saying, “...important to me.”

Quickly realizing just how uncomfortable she has become with the situation, Edelgard hastily removes Rhea’s hand from her hip and sits up, her cheeks flushed red and her breathing hastened. Not wanting to spend another moment in physical contact with the archbishop, the princess stands up and, in almost a panicked manner, bows and says, “Th-thank… uh, I thank you for… for having treated my injuries, Lady Rhea, but I should… I should really leave now. There is much I have to be updated on. In regards to my class, that is.”

Without wasting another moment, Edelgard quickly leaves, her hasty footsteps echoing through the stairwell as she disappears downstairs.

Left to her own devices, Rhea sighs, and exits her chamber as well. Heading towards the pavilion, the archbishop gazes outwards at the setting sun, the very same dusk she has witnessed many times before. For just a moment, she wonders if bearing knowledge of what is to come is a blessing or a curse, one that strands her in the year Jeralt returns to the monastery with his daughter, forever seeking the right path that would lead her fate away from treachery at the hands of the emperor and the one who bears her mother’s heart.

\---

Having returned to her room, Edelgard takes a moment to recompose herself, but still finds herself unfocused and distracted, and unable to ignore the thoughts and sounds plaguing her. It is simply impossible to shake what happened earlier today from her mind, no matter how much she tries. To think, the archbishop, the Immaculate One, tending to her personally and laying her head in her lap! How utterly despicable, how repulsive. 

And yet, no matter how much she tries, Edelgard simply can not ignore that feeling of yearning that remains within her. Not for Rhea, she reminds herself, but for the comforting feeling she brought her. A strange sense of maternal love that the princess has missed for so long… if only it did not come from the Immaculate One herself. Then again…

“Lady Edelgard! Are you safe!?” Hubert rushes into Edelgard’s room without warning, interrupting her train of thought with an uncharacteristically panicked voice, and stands by her attentively. “When they ordered that you be brought to Lady Rhea’s personal chamber for treatment of your injuries, and forbade anyone from interfering, I had feared the worst. That the archbishop may have… ah, excuse me, I need to recompose myself.”

“Hubert! It’s… it’s fine. I’m fine.” Edelgard says with a sigh, annoyed at Hubert for having entered her room without permission and without warning, although not annoyed enough to address his concerns. After all, they have been plotting against the archbishop together, if they allow the archbishop to get too close, they risk being found out and losing their chance for insurrection. “She… she simply treated my injuries and watched over me as I sleep. I did not have anything suspicious on me at the time, and I certainly did not reveal anything incriminating.”

“That is a relief to hear…” Hubert sighs a sigh of relief, knowing that their plans have not been jeopardized, but nevertheless sighs as he crosses his arms and brings a hand to his chin. “Still, we can not let our guards down around Lady Rhea. I usually have such a thorough grasp on who has what kind of intelligence on us, and yet with the archbishop, I have been having such a difficult time determining anything. It is… distressing, knowing that the target of our revolution has been so elusive even to me.”

“I understand, Hubert.” The princess, having finally managed to calm herself down enough to process through the events that have transpired, responds, “Ever since we have enrolled at the monastery as students, the archbishop has been treating me with… unusual familiarity. But this is the first time she has brought me to her private chambers, and it feels like an alarming development. I thought we had a good enough grasp on Lady Rhea, having found out her true identity, but it seems like there’s much more to her machinations that we simply need more intel on before we can make our next move.”

“I will resume my observations, Lady Edelgard, and I will report any new information I gather as soon as I can.” Hubert says with a bow, before turning to leave Edelgard’s room, and leaving her with, “Oh, and if Lady Rhea makes anymore advances towards you… do let me know the nature of her advances.”

“Of course, I will, Hubert.”

As Edelgard is left alone in her room, once again to her own thoughts, her mind drifts back to laying her head in Rhea’s lap. It’s true, the archbishop is her political and religious enemy, and the target of her planned insurrection. She has even contacted and made use of her loathed uncle Arundel to play a part in her revolution, if that says anything about how much she desires the downfall of the Church of Seiros. 

And yet, being able to sleep so soundly and comfortably, undisturbed by schizophrenic nightmares, and to rouse from her slumber feeling well-rested… it is a luxury she has not enjoyed in such a long time, one that Rhea somehow managed to provide her. Even now, the archbishop’s humming remains in her head, soothing her like a lullaby, making her wonder if she keeps replaying it in her mind, she might be able to sleep tonight without any stray thoughts or nightmares. As much as she loathes the head of the Church of Seiros, Rhea has something about her that gives Edelgard pause in her spiteful thoughts, something she simply can’t shake off.


	2. Mother's Care

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Edelgard begins making inquiries about the archbishop, but finds herself in an unfavourable position.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This received so much more attention than I had anticipated, so I just felt really galvanized to keep writing while I still have time left.

“Flayn, if I may have a moment?”

Edelgard has never been interested in associating with Seteth’s strange little sister beyond recognizing her as yet another one of the beasts in human form involved in controlling Fódlan from the pulpit of the church. Yet, it is precisely because of her position, that the princess today seeks her out in hopes of better understanding Rhea’s true intentions with her strange behaviour.

“Oh, good morning Edelgard! Did you need something?” Flayn responds with her bright and lovely smile, a docile demeanour that reminds the imperial princess that this is a life to which she will have to show no mercy should they clash on the fields of battle. It’s nothing personal, it’s just the crimson path upon which she treads.

“Yes, there is something I am curious about.” Edelgard begins, responding to Flayn’s gentle smile with one of her own, one entirely disconnected from the violent thoughts swirling underneath. “You are relatively new to the monastery, are you not? It is to my understanding that your brother is the archbishop’s advisor, but how do you yourself feel about her?”

“Huh? You mean Lady Rhea? I don’t suppose I feel about her any differently from anyone else might feel about the archbishop. Why do you ask?”

There it is, Flayn’s mannerisms and diction. Despite disguising herself as a young girl who appears to be around the same age as the students, Edelgard can tell that the long-lived beast is unable to conceal her age through her behaviour. To everyone else, it is just a quirky aspect of Flayn’s personality, but to Edelgard, it is a telling sign that the teal-coloured hair Flayn shares with the archbishop is more than just coincidence.

“Well, as your brother is always with the archbishop, I figured you might have a more personal relationship with Lady Rhea than any of the students here would.” Edelgard explains, her pleasantly social disposition unchanged despite her patience. It is not her impatience with Flayn per se, but with her thoughts becoming more distracting every moment she spends with her. “Or, was I wrong in my assumption?”

“No, no you aren’t. I do suppose I have a closer relationship to Lady Rhea than the average student here might.” Flayn puts a finger to her chin as she gazes upwards in thought, perhaps thinking of how to explain something she likely has yet to explain to a student. “She does ask me about my day and look after me when I am troubled, and I do seek her for advice when I am in need of it, but I feel like… Hm, how should I put this. I suppose she is more of an aunt-like figure to me…?”

The uncertainty in Flayn’s voice as she describes her relationship to Rhea sounds to Edelgard as if Flayn doesn’t actually know what culturally aunt-niece relations are like. But then again, who is she to judge? The imperial princess herself has never had an aunt, and the only avunculate relationship she has is a tormentous one that has left her traumatized. 

“Hmm, I see. So Lady Rhea is like family to you.”

“Yes, that’s right! I would say so, at least.”

“Does… hm, does Lady Rhea…” Edelgard pauses, stopping herself before finishing her question. It is only after she said those initial words that she realizes that she perhaps should not reveal too much to Flayn. Regardless of whether or not Flayn would report the contents of this conversation to the archbishop, Edelgard feels like her plight is not one she should just reveal to anybody. So instead, she changes the trajectory of her question. “Does Lady Rhea treat Seteth as family as well, or simply as an advisor?”

Ah, oops, maybe that was not the best question to ask.

“My, Edelgard, you’re awfully curious about the archbishop, aren’t you?” Flayn giggles, a sign to Edelgard that no matter how innocently Flayn’s tone may be, that the princess has overstepped her bounds and roused suspicion. Maybe in reality it is not as extreme as it is in her head, but Edelgard can’t shake the feeling that this is the point where she has to end the train of discussion. “I feel like that is something you would have to ask Seteth himself.”

Hm, there it is, the brick wall of inquiry. Being told to ask Seteth about anything is the equivalent of being shut down, as the man is never known to answer anything personal and unrelated to business with the church. Ah, well. This has not been the most productive conversation, but at least Edelgard has come to a better understanding of what she is contending with.

“Hm, I think I will do that at some point then. Thank you for having shared this with me, Flayn. It has been pleasant talking to you.” Edelgard says with a bow, a rather cordial gesture and end to a conversation, but one that seems to have pleased Flayn nevertheless. The princess will just chalk that up to the ancient being not knowing the difference between cordial and casual in the modern world. “Oh, before I take my leave, do you know where Professor Byleth has gone? I have some questions about class for her.”

“Oh! I believe I last saw her heading towards the cathedral with Dorothea and Manuela!” Dorothea and Manuela? “I think they were going to do choir practice today?” Oh, of course.

“Ah, I see. Thank you Flayn, have a good day.”

“See you later, Edelgard!”

As Edelgard head towards the cathedral, she once again thinks over her conversation with Flayn. So she is not the only one to be on the receiving end of Rhea’s affections. But even so, Flayn makes a lot more sense, as she is of the same brood as the archbishop, and has connections with her through Seteth. Why would Rhea bother sharing her affections with the princess of the Adrestian Empire though…? Even if it is as measures to repair relations between the empire and the church, the… singing, the caressing, just didn’t make sense for that.

Maybe talking to her professor will yield more information. After all, it is not unknown that Byleth has been receiving an unusual amount of attention from the archbishop as well. Hopefully, this conversation will prove to be more productive.

\---

Surely enough, upon arriving at the cathedral, Edelgard is greeted with the sound of song, of not just the operatic singing skills of the two former songstresses of the Mittelfrank Opera Company, but also that of the professor. Not frequenting choir practices nor even the cathedral itself enough, Edelgard has no idea how long practice would actually go on for, so she simply decided to spectate the event, in hopes that Byleth would be done and available for talking to soon.

At least having to spectate the choir practice isn’t so bad, with her professor’s lovely figure to gaze upon. Byleth really is quite a strange case, Edelgard finds. Despite coming from a mercenary background, the professor is dressed so elegantly, even with pantyhose and bustier to accentuate her figure. The way she holds and conducts herself too, at least outside of combat, Edelgard would have never guessed that a man like Jeralt is Byleth’s father if she had not been told of it. Is that what draws the archbishop’s fascination towards her? Or did they previously have connections to which Edelgard is unaware? After all, she has heard rumours from Hubert that Jeralt actually had Byleth before he left the monastery all those years ago. Perhaps…

...Huh, thinking about it along those lines, that would make Byleth… in her mid 20’s, maybe? Perhaps a precise number would never be pinpointed because of her upbringing with Jeralt as her father, but even so, that would make Byleth awfully young for a professor, and Rhea’s choice to make her a professor even more unusual.

Ah, well, at least this choir music is not so bad to listen to after all. Edelgard seldom paid much attention to religious music like this, but actually having a chance to sit down and listen to it… she supposes it isn’t too bad. It is nothing like Rhea’s singing, at least in terms of the ability to ward off the hallucinatory sounds or unwanted thoughts, but…

...Strange. The song Rhea was singing to her… that wasn’t choir music, or any kind of religious hymns Edelgard has heard of, now that she thinks about it. What song was that? It sounds as if… as if it could have been a hymn, and yet… Maybe it’s worth asking about sometimes. Even if it means having to bring herself to approach Rhea, after what happened.

“What a pleasant surprise it is finding you here, Edelgard. Enjoying the choir?” Rhea’s soft voice shatters Edelgard’s train of thought as the imperial princess hastily turns around to face the archbishop, her fight-or-flight response instantly kicking in. Edelgard had not expected to encounter the archbishop, and had to take a moment to recompose herself.

“L-Lady Rhea! Um, hi, I… well, ahem, actually, I was here for the professor.” Edelgard quickly reminds herself of the excuse she came up with so she would not give away her true intentions, especially not to the archbishop. “There are some questions I have for her in regarding next week’s lectures, so I… and I, um, so I came here to wait for her. That’s… yeah, that’s all there is to it.”

Edelgard mentally scolds herself for having such a hard time remaining composed in the presence of the archbishop, there is no reason for that! She really should not be as nervous as she is around Rhea! So stop making cheeks warm and flushed!

“Hmm, is that so?” Rhea looks up from Edelgard’s face to behold instead the singing professor, with a gaze that the princess can only interpret as longing. This is enough distraction for Edelgard to snap out of her nervousness, as she attempts to glean more of the archbishop’s emotions towards Byleth. Fairly soon though, Rhea looks back down at Edelgard, and asks with a smile, “Is Miss Byleth not a wonderful singer? Even when singing in tandem with two renowned opera singers from Enbarr, her voice pales not in comparison.”

“Yes, she… she certainly is.” Edelgard turns her gaze towards Byleth as well, both because her professor is pleasant to behold, and because she doesn’t want to make anymore eye contact with Rhea. But no, the archbishop is right, her professor really does have quite a singing voice. “I… I admit this is the first time I have heard her sing like this.”

Perhaps that came out more shakily and uncertain than Edelgard has intended, but she simply tries to pass that off as her being distracted watching her professor sing. Anything to distract herself from the fact that Rhea is standing so closely behind her would be nice. After all, after… after what has happened the other day, she is made aware that the archbishop is not above laying her hands-

“There is… something on your mind, isn’t there, Edelgard?” Rhea asks, her voice lowered to a gentle whisper, as she drapes her arms over the princess’s shoulder and pulls her into a soft embrace, her hands just below Edelgard’s breasts, and her body pressing uncomfortably close to hers. “You seem distracted by something…”

“H-huh? L-Lady… Lady Rh-Rhea…” Edelgard’s cheeks quickly turn bright red as she nervously scans around, realizing that she had made the mistake of watching the choir practice from a vantage point to which nobody else would see the actions of the archbishop. This level of physical contact… it is more than she can bear, and yet, something about the maternal gesture… Her voice lowered to a nervous whisper, Edelgard asks, “Lady Rhea, wh… what is the meaning of this?”

“I am simply concerned about you, Edelgard. There is something troubling you that you have been keeping concealed within your heart.” Rhea responds with the voice of a genuinely concerned mother, as she continues to hold Edelgard in her arms. If only she knows that she is the one who is troubling her…! “If there is anything on your mind, I do not want you to hesitate making it be known to me. As you are the head of the Black Eagle House, and the heir to the Adrestian Empire, it is important for me to look after you should anything trouble you.”

So it IS a diplomatic move…! But even so, making such unsolicited physical contact… no, there must be more to this. But as she is currently cradled like this, Edelgard finds it difficult to process anymore of this. It is almost as if being in Rhea’s arms is tranquilizing her and rendering it difficult to think with the usual clarity she usually can. This isn’t good, she has to get out of there. But with the archbishop’s tight grip around her like this… 

“I-I… I was just, noticing how…” She has to come up with something that would sate Rhea’s prodding, anything, whatever will get the archbishop to leave her alone! “...How… the song you sang me doesn’t… um, it isn’t… it sounds like a hymn, and yet doesn’t appear in any hymn books I know of… what, um, what song is it…?”

Ah crap! That wasn’t what she had meant to reveal! This is bad, being so close to Rhea is making it difficult for Edelgard to conceal her secrets and her thoughts. Whatever it is that the archbishop is doing to her to render her so open and vulnerable, she has to distance herself from it as much as possible. Or else, at this point, her plans for insurrection may even be in jeopardy.

“Ah, so that is what is on your mind?” Rhea’s expression of concern turns to a smile befitting a motherly countenance once again, as she looks up and seemingly recalls some cherished memories. “The song… It may sound like one, but you are correct, it is not actually a hymn. It is rather a song my mother sang to me long ago, when she was still with me…”

“Your… your mother?” Somehow, Edelgard has never once considered that the dragon-in-disguise would have a mother, one that she would be recalling with the same amount of emotions any human would their own deceased mother.

“Yes. As such, it is a song I’ve come to cherish, one I only share with those closest to me.” As she says that, Rhea looks down at Edelgard with a serene expression, with only so much subtlety, enough to convince the princess that it must be some kind of trick. “As I treated your injuries and tended to your wounds, I found myself unknowingly humming the tune, as I suppose I tend to do when my attention is fully absorbed in performing a task. But, now that you have knowledge of the song, may I request that you do not share it with anyone else? It is very personal to me.”

“I… Very well, I will keep the song a secret, Lady Rhea.” That was a lie, as Edelgard already has plans to share with Hubert in hopes that he will uncover more about the truth of the song. Well, or at least, that’s something she was thinking of doing. The more vulnerability the archbishop shows her, the more hesitant Edelgard finds herself in betraying her expectations. Or, at least with the little things like this. Her plans to revolt against the beast that secretly rules Fódlan from the pulpit remains unchanged. 

The archbishop seems pleased and, as the choir practice comes to an end, releases Edelgard from her embrace. At just the right timing too, so that nobody would have any suspicions that she has been making unsolicited advances towards the student. Rhea truly is far craftier than Edelgard had anticipated, and this leaves her even more worried that her plans for insurrection may be exposed.

Ah, the professor is free now, but Rhea seems content to remain in the cathedral for the time being. How inconvenient. It seems like Edelgard is really going to have to perform the excuse she made up about having questions for the lecture next week, as there is no way she can ask about the archbishop while the very person is in the same room. No matter.

As Edelgard quickly moves away from Rhea, relieved she can finally have her senses for herself once again, she moves to engage the professor in conversation, well aware that the entire time, Rhea is watching her. The archbishop may have the upper hand for now, but… Edelgard swears to herself, that she will subvert her sooner or later.


	3. Mother's Figure

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Edelgard finds herself confused by the archbishop's intentions, and tries to uncover the truth. Later, at night when she finds herself unable to relax...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finished Black Eagles route a few days ago! I'm really excited cause the ending gave me lots of ideas on how I'm going to further develop this fanfic. I just hope I'll have the time to keep writing even though work has been devouring all of my time.

Waking up in the middle of the night, with chaotic thoughts and terrible dreams swirling in her head once again, Edelgard finds her sleep disrupted again, as she sits up in bed wracked with terrible pain. Groaning, she tries to lay back down, but soon finds it impossible to relax with the aching in her body and the auditory hallucinations besieging her senses. So instead, she figured getting some fresh air might help.

Not that being up and about at this time of night and with this amount of aching is any relaxing, and being left alone to her senses in the middle of the night certainly does little to quell the sounds she keep hearing that she knows not to be real. But what could she do about it? No kinds of medicines she has tried in the past has worked, and if anything, they’ve only ever worsened her condition or given her new problems to handle. Although, there is that song…

The time Rhea comforted her and sang to her… that was the one time she felt truly at ease, as if none of the mental and physical conditions with which she is ladened could bother her. And although she knows not the lyrics to that song… perhaps humming it the same way the archbishop did could help soothe her? Not that… not that it would mean anything, that is. The Immaculate One will never stop being her enemy, and Edelgard will never stop at anything to bring her down by her axe. But maybe… borrowing her song for curative measures for now would be okay.

As she retraces the notes of the song in her memories, Edelgard starts to hum, a bit uncertain at first before she finds the right key. It would be awfully embarrassing if someone is to find her humming to herself at this time of night, but it’s so late, that the princess highly doubts there’s anyone up and about to hear her hum anyways. So she hums to her heart’s content as she strolls through the monastery, each and every moment of enjoying the song soothing her aches like a salve, and drowns out her hallucinations, bringing her a clarity of mind she seldom has the privilege of having. It doesn’t feel the same as when Rhea sang to her, but for now, simply humming the song is enough to lift the imperial princess’s mood.

She even feels lighter in her step, as her humming grows slightly more energetic. Or at least until Edelgard turns the corner and comes face to face with the professor.

“P-professor!” Edelgard gasps, stopping dead in her tracks, as her cheeks quickly grow red with the realization that Byleth has heard her humming. “What… wh-what are you doing up this late, professor?”

“Oh, Edelgard. I was having trouble sleeping.” Byleth answers nonchalantly, as if not paying any mind to her student’s flusteredness. It is a little unnerving how she always responds so… indifferently to any situation she’s put into like this, but Edelgard finds it nice. It’s a lot easier to recompose herself when the other person isn’t being weird about it. “That song you were humming… I have never heard such a song before, where did you learn it?”

“H-huh? P… Professor…” The embarrassment comes back at full speed. Oh, why couldn’t her professor have simply left it alone? What is she even going to say? She can’t just say the archbishop sang it to her while caressing her body. Maybe a white lie will have to do. “It’s… it’s just a song I heard from somewhere, I don’t remember.”

“Hm, I see. I think it was very nice.”

“Um… thanks.”

Geez, what an awkward situation. But… at least, she and her professor are alone right now, with the right amount of privacy to ask about the archbishop. Maybe this was a good situation after all, Edelgard just has to make sure she makes use of it before it slips by her. Besides, it wouldn’t be out of place either, seeing as how just a few days ago, it was discovered that Byleth bears the Crest of Flames, and had the Sword of the Creator entrusted to her by the archbishop herself. It would absolutely be relevant to current events.

“Say, professor… um, how do you… what do you think about the archbishop?” Edelgard asks cautiously, being careful of her word choice even if Byleth has proven to be the least likely person to snitch should anything happen. To clarify, she adds, “She has… she has treated you with such unusual familiarity and trust, even though you have only been here for so long. Do you not find that rather strange?”

“Hm, I suppose I do.” The professor crosses her arms in contemplation as she thinks over the question, her crossed arms pushing up on her enormous bosom and making quite a distraction for Edelgard’s attention, “I mean, I personally have not known Lady Rhea nor the Church of Seiros for long, so I wouldn’t know what she normally is like. But everyone who has talked to me about the subject, like Catherine and Seteth, has told me that this is very unusual behaviour for the archbishop, so I simply take their word for it.”

“I… I see.” That doesn’t really tell Edelgard much about what Byleth herself thinks about the archbishop, so she decides to try another approach, hoping that her professor would stop avoiding the question that she is really trying to get at. “Do you like that kind of attention from the archbishop?”

“Hm… I suppose it is nice.” There she goes again with the vague and uncertain answers, what did Edelgard expect. Then again, the professor doesn’t even know her own age, Edelgard supposes that is just the kind of person Byleth is: a very strange kind of person. “My own father doesn’t give me that kind of affection normally, not that I particularly crave it, but it is nice to have the kind of attention from Lady Rhea. I don’t particularly understand her motives, but I don’t suppose it could be anything malicious, so I don’t mind it.”

“Do you think there is the possibility that Lady Rhea is giving you special treatment because she knew of your Crest of Flames beforehand?”

“...” That question gave Byleth pause, as she seems to ponder on something that she doesn’t seem keen on sharing with Edelgard. It is a risky question to ask, after all, but having a level of trust in her professor emboldens the princess to push beyond what she would be comfortable with with anyone else. “I suppose it is possible, although I would hope that that is not the only thing about me that is deserving of the treatment she gives me.”

“I see…” Edelgard thinks back to her own two crests, and the Crest of Flames she also bears. Maybe… maybe she would tell Byleth about it sometimes, but… maybe not right now. Right now, her mind is too preoccupied with thoughts about the archbishop to really have the emotional capacity for bonding with Byleth over sharing a crest. But, if Rhea really does favour Byleth for her Crest of Flames… it does make the imperial princess wonder if the archbishop shows her such affection for the same reason.

“Why do you ask, Edelgard? Is this about the time Lady Rhea personally tended to your injuries?”

“H-huh? O-oh, um…” Oh, this is awkward. Despite how Byleth behaves, Edelgard supposes she really isn’t as oblivious as she pretends to be. She supposes there isn’t any way she can keep hiding this, so… “Y-yeah… yes, yes it is. It’s… troubled me ever since. I don’t feel like I deserve the kind of intimacy she shows me, and I’m not really sure how to handle that kind of development either. I mean, you at least have the connection to her through your father Jeralt, who used to be the head of the Knights of Seiros, but me? I am the imperial princess of the Adrestian Empire, which has strained relations with the church ever since the insurrection of the Southern Church. I can’t imagine anything about where I came from that would warrant such… familiarity.”

“Hm, that is unusual indeed.” Byleth says very matter-of-factly, as she ponders over what Edelgard has opened up to her about. Her expression is difficult for Edelgard to read, as it always has been, and it’s difficult to glean from her eyes what she is thinking underneath. “Do you think it possible that it may come from a source of personal infatuation?”

“Th-the archbishop!? With… w-with me!?” Edelgard’s face flushes quickly as she processes the professor’s suggestion that the archbishop desires her like that. So… so improper! Not just because of their positions, but even just the age gap alone! The archbishop is an ancient dragon of untold age, and Edelgard is only 17! “D-don’t say something so ridiculous! That is most certainly NOT the case, and I will not entertain such a thought!”

“If you say so.” The professor simply shrugs, as if she hasn’t said anything wildly inappropriate, before stretching and yawning, giving her student yet another really nice view as her breasts are squished together. “Well, anyways, I think I am sufficiently relax to return to bed. Good night Edelgard, and don’t stay up too late.”

“Y-yeah. Good night, professor.”

Geez, what an encounter that was. The kinds of things that go on in that head of Byleth’s… oh well, at least Edelgard was able to learn that she is not the only one who finds Rhea’s advances a little strange. Not to mention, the conversation has revealed to her another potential reason that the archbishop may have taken an interest in her: her Crest of Flames. Although, that would be a strange possibility, as Edelgard has never told anyone about it yet. Perhaps the archbishop was able to determine its existence through some unknown dragon senses…? 

No matter thinking about it now. Edelgard feels sufficiently worn out by the conversation that she feels like she can probably return to bed now and get a few more hours of sleep before morning comes. She has to meet with Hubert tomorrow anyways, they have plans to discuss their findings and plot out their next course of action. After all, even if she can’t fully determine the archbishop’s intentions, she and Those Who Slither In The Dark have already made plans to bring Kronya into the scene. There is no stopping what she has started.

\---

The next day is lectures, but none of it Edelgard can really focus on. She has too much on her mind to really pay attention to anything Byleth is trying to teach her, resulting in quite a few scoldings. Normally, it’s something that would help motivate the imperial princess to try again, but today, it just isn’t doing it for her, something that the professor is disappointed by as well. But, there’s not much to be done about that.

Pretty quickly after lectures end, Edelgard meets up with Hubert at a secure location just outside of the monastery, as they have planned. Naturally, the first thing he brings up is the princess’s focus during lectures that day.

“Lady Edelgard, you were rather not yourself today, I noticed. Has there been new development since last we talked that troubles you?” He asks with a bow, as he does. “Remember, it would be wise to keep your loyal servant abreast of any significant events that may interfere with our plans, so that we may best adjust our plans accordingly.”

“Yes, of course.” Edelgard normally does not mind Hubert’s verboseness and manner of speech, but she for some reason finds it to be rather irritable today, leading to her seeming more curt and tense than she intends. “Lady Rhea approached me once again, this time at the cathedral while I waited to speak with our professor. Once again, she was… unsettlingly intimate. The topic of the conversation was simply about our professor, and nothing more significant than that, but it was her behaviour that troubled me.”

“I would imagine so. Someone of such authority and religious significance making such unsolicited moves on the imperial princess is indeed a highly inappropriate course of action to take.” Hubert notes, nodding slowly as if attempting to memorize every word his princess has spoken, just as he always does, “I have some hypotheses regarding the archbishop’s unusual behaviour, but I would like to hear if Lady Edelgard has anything else to divulge.”

“Of course, Hubert.” Edelgard has already been careful about not oversharing the… raunchier details she would rather Hubert not know, and she has to make sure she continues to be careful about information she would rather keep private. “I also had a chance to speak with our professor regarding Lady Rhea’s strange behaviour, and she has brought up the fact that the archbishop is also overly familiar with her to a strange degree.

“And considering what we have recently discovered, that the professor bears the Crest of Flame, it makes me wonder… could it be possible that the archbishop is choosing her allies based on the potential they bear? Perhaps she recognizes something in me that leads her to treat me differently, just as she treats our professor differently for being capable of wielding the Sword of the Creator.”

Of course, Edelgard would never bring up Byleth’s suggestion that Rhea might be interested in her romantically, especially not with Hubert.

“Ah, I suppose that would make sense.” Hubert ponders, having been met with a theory he clearly wasn’t thinking about, but is now compounding with the ideas he already has in mind. “I was under the impression that it was purely a diplomatic move to ensure stronger relations to the Adrestian Empire, something the Church of Seiros would likely desire after the collapse of the Southern Church. But, if what you propose is true, it would further encourage the archbishop to remain on good terms with you to ensure the dominance of the church within the Empire. After all, it would mean that should relations further deteriorate, Lady Rhea would find herself with unfavourable odds.”

“Regardless of her intentions, Lady Rhea is coming far too close for comfort. The closer she forces you to be with her, the more we risk our covers being exposed.” Hubert states the obvious, before continuing with his proposal, “I propose that we begin moving ahead with our plans sooner rather than later. It may be against unfavourable odds, but I fear that the longer we wait while the archbishop continues to be so close, the more likely we may lose our chances of success.”

“Wait.” No, no this won’t do. Right after she said that, Edelgard realizes she’s not really sure why she is hesitating. What Hubert proposes is a logical next step, as they do have an agenda to follow up on, regardless of what happens in their personal lives. Besides, it has always been the princess who takes the initiative and proceeds with a plan without hesitation, so this catches even the princess herself off-guard. “We mustn’t be hasty. We have yet to discern the location of the Crest stones, and we risk never being able to find them if we act too soon, before we could have an opening.”

What is she doing? While it is true that the Crest stones are important, they are by no means vital to their plans, they are simply something that would provide them an edge, but… The princess feels so confused. She genuinely can’t find a reason that she would even be bringing this up, but there is something lingering in her heart that casts doubt upon her, something that likely has her second-guessing her plans in that single moment.

“I… suppose you are correct, Lady Edelgard.” Hubert responds, seemingly taken aback by this response, and having that look in his eyes that tell Edelgard he is going to do as he pleases anyways, as he does. What a troublesome miserable vassal to have, so much for his undying loyalty. Argh, what kind of thoughts are these? Definitely not ones Edelgard normally finds herself having. “If you think it necessary, I can do further research into where in the monastery they might be located.”

“Yes, that would be ideal.” This is at least something that would take some of Hubert’s time away from pulling back the curtains too early, even if it is likely he’s going to contact Those Who Slither In The Dark on his own soon and make their plans. To make it seem like she really does have her heart in this, Edelgard adds, “Perhaps Linhardt would be of some use to you in this endeavour. He is normally rather useless despite his talents, but I have noticed recently his interest in the history and architecture of the Garreg Mach Monastery. With enough maneuvering, I am certain you can lead him to take his interest towards the location of holy artifacts as well.”

“Excellent suggestion, Lady Edelgard. I will be sure to do that the next time I chance upon him.” Hubert bows, before his attention is quickly turned to the time. Not that the bell has rung yet, but they have been out here for quite some time now, and he seems antsy to return. “For now, we should return to the monastery, lest we are discovered in a suspicious position. I will keep you abreast of any new developments on my end.”

“Very good, I will hold you to that, Hubert. Let us return now.”

Despite the confidence she is able to inject into her voice to hopefully fool Hubert regarding her uncertainty, Edelgard is still filled with doubt. Doubt about her plans, doubt about her capabilities, and of course, doubts about… how things are with the archbishop. The Immaculate One is such a loathsome creature, and yet she confuses her with such strange kindness, so much so that even now, the princess, who previously thought herself unwavering in treading down her crimson path, finds herself questioning her own conviction…

\---

That night, as she lays in bed seeking sleep and solace away from the distracting thoughts and whispering voices once again, Edelgard finds herself unusually tense and unable to relax. Perhaps it is the stress of everything that has been going on, with the upcoming mission to retrieve the stolen relic from that disinherited Gautier, with how she is going to handle her own revolution, and… of course, with how she is going to handle the archbishop. The imperial heir has long decided that she would persevere with her revolution, even if she must stand alone, as she has long been used to being alone anyways, but unyielding conviction alone is not enough to ward off vulnerability to stress and the symptoms of overworking.

Perhaps, in all likelihood, she may even overwork herself to an early death. As bleak of a thought as it may be, Edelgard can not discount it as a possibility, especially with tales of nobles and bureaucrats who worked themselves to death that she has been hearing from the townspeople and traveling merchants. After all, the princess is already in poor health, as a result of the experiments conducted upon her body as a child and a result of the ordeal of being kidnapped. And now with how she forces herself to juggle so many responsibilities at once, with academic work, training, covert operations as the Flame Emperor, and personal troubles, it just… all feels so overwhelming. And yet, it is a burden she must bear…

Ahh, useless, useless. The voices are only growing more intrusive the more she wastes time laying around, thinking destructive thoughts. She needs something to wear herself out and to keep her mind free so she can actually sleep tonight. Masturbation might help. She hasn’t done it in a while anyways, it would be good to unwind like that for once.

Slipping her hand underneath her sleepwear shorts and underneath her undergarment, Edelgard starts touching herself, trying to get herself wet by just stimulation alone. When she first began masturbation, Edelgard used to take such care in indulging in whatever erotica she can pick up from the market before starting to move onto the main action, but she’s long abandoned the fancifulness of doing that in favour of just getting off so she can sleep. So that’s pretty precisely what she’s doing right now, just rubbing her finger along her slit and pressing against her clit in order to get herself in the mood. 

She has read somewhere before that the clitoris is supposed to be some kind of magical spot that is supposed to succeed in arousing women without fail, at least according to the erotica she has read and the more obscene conversations she has heard from commoner women, but Edelgard has never really found that to be true for herself. In fact, Edelgard has found that stimulating her clit really does not do a lot for her, for some reason, at least not as much as penetration alone does. She’s wondered before if it meant there is something wrong with her body, but it isn’t something that really bothers her right now, not while she’s trying to get off. 

Rather than anxious or self-pitying thoughts, Edelgard’s mind is rapidly filling up with thoughts about her professor as she gets herself wetter and wetter through stimulation. Byleth… she is so incredibly attractive, and so incredibly distracting during class, that Edelgard often finds it difficult not to think about all sorts of obscene thoughts about her at inopportune times. Thoughts about how much she would love for her teacher to touch her inappropriately, suggesting forbidden relations between them while practically coercing her into a relationship, leveraging her status as her professor against her… 

Oh, what scandalous thoughts! As Edelgard really slips into it, pushing a finger in and thrusting it gently, she imagines how her beloved teacher would take advantage of her, caressing her thighs gently while whispering sweet nothings, before reaching for her dripping sex… Slipping in another finger and imagining how forceful her teacher would be with her delicate sex while critiquing her about not pushing herself to her limits, forcing her to climax again and again until the teacher is satisfied. Forcing her to exhaust herself again and again, until her body is limp and weak, rendered vulnerable in her professor’s arms…

Even if she should be the one to be touched though, Edelgard would love for Byleth to be more open with her body as well. She has such a figure that would make any woman jealous, if she would expose it to her beloved student while touching her, perhaps even rewarding her by breastfeeding her and allowing her to grope her enormous bosom… ahh, such a thought would just make Edelgard absolutely melt. Such a powerful maternal act, such gentle aftercare to such an intense session… that’s right, Rhea would-

W-wait, Rhea!? When has she… Oh goodness, when did her thoughts about Byleth drift to being about the archbishop, without her even realizing it? Aah, this is bad, Rhea is her political enemy and a terrible foe she will take on, but as of right now, the princess just… can’t find herself to care about any of that. She has two fingers in, moving rapidly while she fondles her own chest, and her head is too full of arousal to really… care about who it is right now. Edelgard just desperately wants to get off.

Besides, regardless of who or what Rhea is, Edelgard really can’t deny that she has quite an amazing figure. It is a shame that her cape constantly covers the view from behind, because the princess has to admit she has on occasion thought about how much she’d love to see what impressive assets the archbishop carries with her underneath that form-fitting white dress of hers. Such incredible hips, quite the asset that the princess would love to find herself being crushed by. 

Aah, but she can’t waste too much time on just simple stuff like that right now, she’s starting to get close and she just really wants to cum. She just really wants to find herself being taken care of by such a maternal figure, one who lays her in her lap, fondling and touching her in all the right places, as she breastfeeds the princess. Whether or not she actually lactates or not matters not, just simply the act of suckling on the archbishop’s bosom while she takes care of all of her sexual needs would be so blissful. Nothing extreme or punishing, just motherly fingers working at a gentle yet firm rhythm, thrusting and prodding at just the right pace to stimulate her princess, bringing her to an intense climax followed by a relaxing caressing, a mother’s touch to fill her with ecstatic love…

Nn, there it is. As Edelgard reaches the height of her excitement, she rapidly picks up the pace of her fingers to ride out the wonderful feeling as the pressure finally releases, leaving her sleeping shorts rather soaked and her body very much at ease. Ahh, that’s so much better… not wanting to bother with cleaning up, she just wipes her fingers on her already-soaked shorts and curls up in her blankets. It’s kinda gross, but it’s not like anyone else is going to see her in her sleepwear anyways. It’ll dry by morning anyways.

As Edelgard finally feels worn out enough to sleep, her mind wanders back to her fantasies, now that it has some sense of clarity unfettered by sexual arousal. To think, she got off thinking about the archbishop, someone with whom she will inevitably engage upon the field of battle… a draconic beast disguised as a woman… and yet still an object of the princess’s lust. It gives Edelgard such a weird feeling, having perverted thoughts about a woman she has to kill. It doesn’t really feel right, but... 

...As long as it is just a fantasy that nobody else knows about, it should be fine, right? Yeah, it should be fine. Just… avoid doing it again, because it’s kind of weird still. And Edelgard would really rather not form any kind of attachment towards a political enemy she will have to fell, Taking a decision that will forever sever bonds significant to her, with friends, with Dimitri, with the others… it’s already hard enough. It’s better if she better prepare herself emotionally for the day she has to turn against the archbishop, and not make the decision harder to take.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Now that I'm done with Black Eagles run, I'm hoping to do more of Golden Deer, although I'm still pretty early in it right now...


	4. Mother's Body

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Feeling restless about the upcoming mission, Edelgard accepts an invitation from Flayn to relax at the sauna.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have finally planned out what the rest of the chapters are gonna be about (about time!), so I can probably write a lot more better now... I hope. Given that I have enough time, which I most likely won't all week. Aaaaa. I haven't even had the time to play more FE3H. 
> 
> Also, at some point I'm going to want to write Bernaleth content too...

Oh goddess, oh goddess gracious, what a strange night that was. Edelgard is hit with the realization of what she got off to as soon as she woke up in the morning. She got off thinking about the archbishop. Her mortal enemy. Oh no. She can’t even believe how awkward this is. She absolutely has to avoid Rhea at all costs now, she absolutely can’t go near her. Edelgard can hardly even imagine how incredibly awkward it is going to be even just seeing Rhea in person.

Goddess, why did she do that… Well, regardless, she has a meeting to attend. The mission to hunt down Sylvain’s brother is tomorrow, so the imperial princess does have to attend a meeting with her house and professor to once again review their plans. This will do her wonders keeping her mind off of the archbi-

“Edelgard! My! Is it just me, or is that romantic yearning I spot in your eyes?” Manuela exclaims, snapping Edelgard out of her thoughts as she’s on her way to the meeting and causing her to nearly hit the professor out of surprise. At least the professor doesn’t take this personally, and simply giggles at the princess, asking pretty immediately, “So! Who is it, Edelgard? Who is the lucky gentleman or lady to have our imperial princess pining?”

“P-pro… professor Manuela!” It takes the princess a moment to calm herself down and recompose. Geez, normally she has no trouble with something like that at all, but all the… all the stuff last night about the archbishop just… has her so jumpy today. It’s like just having Rhea in her mind ruins her composure! “Don’t be… don’t be ridiculous! It is nothing of the sort! I’m simply… I’m simply thinking over the mission for tomorrow! It is going to be a very dangerous mission, of course I am going to be… to be restless thinking about it!”

“Of course, oh but of course.” The nosy professor doesn’t seem convinced by Edelgard’s explanation at all, even though she doesn’t disagree with the mission being dangerous. She still has that sly smile across her face, as she keeps prodding, “But Edelgard, dear, you really think you can hide that kind of secrets from an expert on the subject of love such as myself? You can’t hide that look of longing in your eyes from me! So tell me princess, who is the lucky object of your affections, hmm? Don’t worry, I won’t tell anyone!~”

“I-I… No, I absolutely can not tell you.” Finally able to get her bearings, Edelgard huffs and put on her usual air of imperial princess professionalism. She has a feeling she can’t just shake Manuela once she’s gotten her nose in business like this, but there’s absolutely no way she can just say ‘the archbishop’ either. “It is a matter of imperial diplomatic business, it’s entirely confidential.” 

“Hmm? Diplomatic business, you say? Somehow, I have a hard time believing that…” Oh no, Manuela’s too sharp with this kind of thing. Nevertheless, she seems to be playing along, giving Edelgard a wink as she starts guessing, “Maybe… Prince Dimitri? Or perhaps that dashing Claude? Oh! Or maybe Lysithea? Or… ah! But of course, Petra!”

“N-n… no! Absolutely not!” Edelgard didn’t think that that would be an invitation for the professor to start shipping her with other students at the academy! Even if she does find Lysithea and Petra to be particularly attractive, she’s… well, the one on her mind… you know! “I-it’s nothing like that, it’s… fine, if I give you one hint, will you please leave me alone about this business? And… and not tell anyone? I have a meeting with my house to attend soon.”

“Alright, alright, I’ll try not to keep you then. So, what’s the hint, princess?~”

Oh goddess, oh this is kinda awkward now that she’s actually gotten here. Edelgard actually didn’t have a hint in mind when she suggested that, but now she’s kinda stuck in this situation where she HAS to give one. Oh, what is she even going to say… what can she even hint about the archbishop without making it seem too obvious it’s the archbishop? No, not hair colour, there’s only three people with that hair colour. No, not… argh, what can she even say!? “U-uhh, well! She’s… um, well, she’s someone… who’s… who I can’t be with due to rank! There! I said it! I’m off to my meeting now, so have a good day, Professor Manuela!”

Storming off, Edelgard’s face is flushed red and unbearably warm, as her head is filled with embarrassment and noise. She can’t really tell if it’s just her hallucinations, but she can swear that as she’s leaving to head to her meeting, she can hear Manuela giggling and saying to herself, “So, Dorothea, is it now…”

...Well, Edelgard does suppose the opera singer is really beautiful too, but…

Aargh! She can think about that later! She’s got a meeting to attend!

\---

Well, that was a fairly standard and uneventful meeting. At least it performed its purpose in helping Edelgard regain control of herself and shake off whatever that was this morning, due to Hubert being there kinda killing her mood. At least she’s reoriented herself and put her imperial-princess facade back on. The last thing she’d want is for… literally anyone else to see her as a flustered, blushing mess of a hopeless romantic. Even if she secretly is one. 

At least now that she’s no longer fretting over… someone whose name she doesn’t want to mention, the imperial princess can be fretting over more important things. Like the mission tomorrow! Yeah! ...Not that it makes her feel any better. It just makes Edelgard feel even more stressed out than before. Aah, but it’s the fate of being the heir to the Adrestian Empire, and a student at the Officer’s Academy… she suppose all she can do is get used to this kind of stress and worry.

“Ah, Edelgard!” Oh, hey Flayn. Not… exactly the person Edelgard is hoping to run into, considering her resemblance to… but at least she’s pleasant to have around. Even if she has to be kidnapped in a few days. “Oh, you look dreadful! Are you stressed out over the mission tomorrow?”

“Very perceptive, Flayn. That’s right.” Edelgard sighs, not bothering to hide her discomfort this time, since it has nothing to do with her romantic life. She always handle like, professional business stuff, a lot better than she handles interpersonal emotion stuff anyways. This is more within her comfort zone. “This will be the first time I will have to face a relic-wielder in combat, and I can only hope that the confrontation will go successfully. Our professor may wield a relic as well, but… it is still my duty as house leader to ensure the survival of my fellow house members.”

It’s true, and it’s a pretty immediate concern for Edelgard, since she does plan on going up against the church, as well as the Kingdom and the Alliance. She has no doubt that in her coming years, she will be fighting many relic-wielders.

“That’s right, it will likely be a fierce encounter. It does bring a smile to my face though to know that you care so much about your classmates.” Flayn smiles a rather bright smile, one almost sweet enough to make the imperial princess feel guilty for what she will have to do to this innocent dragon. “It is relieving to know that the future Adrestian Emperor has the safety and interest of her people at the forefront of her concerns.”

Oh, Flayn… You really do know what to say to make Edelgard feel guilty, don’tcha?

“I don’t quite think that basic necessity of being a ruler is really anything praiseworthy, but I thank you for your kind words.” The imperial princess smiles, but then sighs again, as the Gautier mission continues to hang over her head. She has heard rumours from Those Who Slither In The Dark about demonic beasts, but… “I just hope the mission will be successful without difficulty.”

“Hmm…” Hmm? “Edelgard, you seem really stressed out by this, so I have an idea. Why don’t we visit the sauna together? I’m sure that getting a chance to bathe will help you relax! Maybe that oughta help clear your mind and put you in a better headspace?”

“Hmm? I suppose that’s not a bad idea…” That’s right, there is a sauna at the Garreg Mach Monastery, she almost forgot. She’s never really thought about visiting it before, but she suppose it could be a nice little experience to go with Flayn. “Although I don’t really think I’m in the mood for the actual sauna itself, just having some time in the bathhouse should help me ease up a bit.”

“Great! Let’s go thither straightaway, then!”

There goes Flayn with her big words again. What a strange girl.

\---

Enjoying a nice pre-bath shower with Flayn… certainly something Edelgard never thought she would be doing, but here she is. Together with the girl in the shower room, sitting on stools and washing their hair together. It’s probably the only chance she would ever have to see Flayn’s nude body, so Edelgard decides to take the opportunity to look at her as much as possible. For science, of course. Yep. Gotta understand her future enemies and all that junk.

Oh what baloney, she just thinks Flayn looks really pretty, is all. Thick locks of teal hair, lovely teal eyes, silky white skin, delicate features, surprisingly left unmarred by the millenium of dragonhood… and of course, the Crest of Cethleann, sitting comfortably on her lower back, near her petite behind. The mark of the saint herself. Aah, it’s so obvious, Saint Cethleann never left any living descendants, the only way Flayn could have had the Crest is if she is Saint Cethleann herself. Maybe that’s why Seteth is so protective of her; if that much was made obvious, their cover would be blown so quickly. 

Asides from that, Flayn’s slender frame… it’s hard to imagine that a terrible dragon beast could have its entire body fitted within the slender frame of this girl. Her arms are so thin, her legs too, and overall she just looks so delicate and… kinda cute. It’s such a shame that in a few days, she’s going to be kidnapped for her blood. Such a pretty little thing, marred…

...Hm. That’s actually kind of an erotic image. As the two begin applying soap and chatting about whatever, and as Edelgard continues to stare at Flayn’s body, she starts imagining what the kidnapping would be like. Kicking and screaming… no, it would probably be when she’s asleep. Held down, gagged, tied up… maybe blindfolded too, so she can’t see the identity of her kidnappers. Rendered helpless, as she’s hoisted up and pulled away… placed down on a table, strapped down, marred by the medical instruments that will probably be used on her, the same ones that were used on Edelgard all those years ago… The tears in her eyes, her helpless silence…

Aah, Edelgard really needs to stop thinking about those dark thoughts, she’s getting kind of aroused, and she kinda doesn’t want to be right now. She’s soaping up and chatting with Flayn about whatever, after all, it’s kinda not the right time for that kinda thing.

“Edelgard, can you help me scrub my back please?” Flayn asks with a smile, completely unaware of all the perverse thoughts about her swirling around in Edelgard’s head, as she hands her the sponge.

“Yes, of course. And I would like the favour returned once I’m done.” She returns the smile as she starts scrubbing Flayn’s back for her. Aah, once again, the thoughts. Flayn just has such soft and delicate skin that Edelgard kinda really want to see it marred… what horrible thoughts.

“Cethleann…” Edelgard says accidentally, as she finds herself lost in thought. But as soon as she realized Flayn’s tensing up at calling her that, she quickly corrects herself for damage control. Can’t have the dragons know that she knows, after all. “The Crest of Cethleann is really pretty…” 

“Ah, you think so?” Flayn relaxes, seeming to be relieved her cover isn’t blown after all. Edelgard still thinks it’s pretty obvious that she’s Cethleann though. She means, come on, what parent could possibly give birth to ‘siblings’ who both bear the crests of two different saints? What are the odds?

“Mhmm.” She softly runs her finger over the crest, before moving to scrub her lower back as well. This is such an intimate act, the thought just occurs to Edelgard, as she notices Flayn blushing. Oh, stop that. She’s a mortal enemy. “There, done. Here’s the sponge.”

It’s now her turn to have Flayn scrub her back, and… hm, Flayn’s awfully good at that. It somehow feels kind of like a massage, the way she deftly moves her hands… kind of nice. Maybe she can ask Flayn about a proper massage sometimes to help soothe her aches and pains. It would be nice to have that, if Seteth would ever permit it. Which he absolutely wouldn’t.

...This is really nice, she thought as the both of them rinse off. Edelgard really has been caught up in all the stuff going on lately that she really forgot what it’s like to just… unwind, and really relax. Even at night when she sleeps, she has trouble relaxing her tense muscles. But showering with Flayn like this… it’s not so bad.

It’s time to move to the bathhouse now though. Edelgard hopes there’s no one there right now.

\---

Ah, how fortuitous! There IS indeed no one in the bath right now! Edelgard sheds her towel and quickly enters the bath, letting out a sigh of relief as she enjoys a relaxing soak. As Flayn does the same, she giggles and comments on the princess’s excitedness, “Edelgard, you seem unusually excited to see a bath, hehe. I don’t suppose you’ve had a relaxing bath like this since you’ve come to the monastery, have you?”

“No, I haven’t.” Edelgard spreads out comfortably, not minding Flayn’s staring, as she basks in the feeling of the nice warm water enveloping her body and undoing every knot in her muscles. “In fact, I had not the opportunity for a bath like this in many years. The life of a princess is supposed to be filled with luxurious delights and privileged pampering, but the life of an heir does not allow time for that.”

“That is unfortunate… but at least, now that you are at Garreg Mach Monastery, you’ll have all the time you need to enjoy the sauna here!” Flayn’s so upbeat, Edelgard wonders what her secret is to being so carefree all the time. Maybe it’s the fact that she doesn’t actually do anything while she’s here at the monastery. “Maybe I can even give you a nice massage sometimes! Would you like that? Lady Rhea has said that I’m really good at giving them…”

“H-huh? Is that so? I suppose it wouldn’t hur-”

“That’s right, Flayn is indeed very good at massages.” Oh no. That voice. Oh she did not just come into the room. Oh no, Edelgard’s heart is pounding already. This isn’t good. “The way she moves her hands, her fingers, the way she applies force… she truly is adept at getting all the stress and tension out of your muscles.”

Edelgard freezes, not daring to turn around, as Flayn turns to face the woman who just joined them with an oblivious smile. “Oh, Lady Rhea! I didn’t know you’re here today too!”

“Ah, that’s right. I just felt like a nice sauna would do me well, is all. I am here to cool off and relax, now.” Sauna… curious, and also not wanting to be awkward by not greeting the archbishop, Edelgard awkwardly turns around and gives a small wave, her heart immediately skipping a beat as she gets a good chance to look at Rhea’s sweaty nude body. Steamy sauna… “Pleasantly surprised to find you here as well, Edelgard. You don’t come to the sauna very often, do you?”

Oh goddess why isn’t Rhea getting in the bath yet! It’s like she WANTS Edelgard to ogle her sweaty body! ...Well, she probably does, but! This isn’t good! Edelgard’s so flustered that she’s even starting to feel a bit lightheaded from all that blood rushing to her cheeks, but she just can’t tear her eyes off of the archbishop’s nude body. Her incredible bosom, her voluptuous curves, her curvaceous hips… it really is everything Edelgard has envisioned, but even better. The fantasies she got off to last night quickly comes flooding back. Oh geez, oh no…

“Hmm?”

Oh! Oh no, she’s been staring awkwardly without saying anything! It’s not until Rhea climbs into the bath next to her, that Edelgard snaps out of it and realizes just how close the archbishop is to her right now. Aah, this is so much…! Oh right! She hasn’t responded to her question yet! Oh this isn’t good, she can’t act so awkwardly around Flayn and let Flayn know! Quickly, Edelgard looks down and answers in a shy voice, “A-ah, yeah n-no, this is… this is, um, my first time here… at the bathhouse…”

“Well, I certainly hope it will not be the last, then. After all, facilities like these are meant to improve the stay of the students here at Garreg Mach Monastery. I hope you’ll make… extensive use of them.” Oh no, oh why is she talking like that. Rhea is absolutely hitting on her, with Flayn right next to them too…! Thankfully, quickly peering at Flayn and her oblivious smile, Edelgard quickly concludes that Rhea is taking advantage of the fact that the other girl really is just that oblivious to… hit on her like this!

Of course, the voices that swarm Edelgard right now tell her that Flayn DOES indeed know, and that she’s just acting like she doesn’t, but she chooses to ignore these voices for now. After all, she’s already far too caught up in this moment to… ah! Crap, she forgot to respond again! “Y-yeah! Of course, um… yeah, of course…”

“Hmm? Edelgard, is something wrong?” Oh Flayn, don’t do that, don’t be so… nonobservant! You’re making this even more awkward! She’s even doing the thing where she’s putting her hand to Edelgard’s forehead and all! Can’t she tell that she’s blushing out of embarrassment and… you know!? “Hmm, is the bath getting too hot for you, Edelgard? If you need to step out to cool down for a bit, you should do that!”

“N-no, I’m… no, I’m Fla-, I mean, I’m fine, Flayn.” Aaaaah. Edelgard really wants to scream right now. Rhea’s being too close to her, and she’s… she’s so beautiful with her hair down like this. No ornaments, no headdresses, no fancy religious robe… just, just Rhea, in her simplest form. It’s… hard to imagine that she could secretly be a dragon, when her human form is so… stunningly beautiful. Aah, oh no, it’s making Edelgard feel faint again. “Seriously! I’m fine! I’m just… not used to this kind of thing.”

“O-oh! Um, alright. If you say so.”

Oops, Edelgard accidentally said that a bit louder than she intended, spooking Flayn a bit. She quickly gives her a small smile to let her know she didn’t intend anything by it, and then… looks back down. It’s so hard looking at Rhea directly without feeling some type of way, especially when Rhea’s so close and would absolutely see her staring if she… well, stared.

Gah, why did Rhea have to come into the bath next to her… now Edelgard’s sandwiched between a teal-haired cutie and a teal-haired beauty who are chatting with each other, seemingly unaware of how much they’re pressing up against Edelgard. Well, at least she knows for sure that Rhea has to be doing this on purpose, since she’s… so clearly hitting on her…! Flayn may be oblivious, but Rhea can’t possibly not notice that her bosom is pressing up against Edelgard’s arm…!

Maybe… just maybe, Byleth really was right about the archbishop… feeling that way about Edelgard… aargh, but what would that even mean! Why would Rhea be interested in her that way! That doesn’t make any sense! It makes so much less sense than… literally any of the other theories she and Hubert came up with! At least… at least Rhea’s presence is really calming, and nice, so it’s… not all bad.

And the way she talks, too. Not only is Rhea’s voice so… motherly, and soothing to listen to, she always speaks with such a calming tone of voice, like she’s singing a lullaby for the princess. And the way her lovely lips curl up in a soft smile, the way her eyes glisten when she smiles, the way she… aah, Edelgard just, why does Rhea have to be so beautiful…? 

“Edelgard? Is something the matter?” Oh no! She’s been caught staring by Rhea! Edelgard can feel her cheeks turning a bright red once again, and her eyes quickly darting away, as if that could hide the fact that she’s been pining for the archbishop. “You’ve been fairly quiet since I’ve arrived…”

“I-it’s… it’s nothing, Lady Rhea! I’m just… not used to something like this. And I’ve… um, I’ve found the bath to be a lot more relaxing than I… than I imagined, I suppose.” That sure is an excuse that she just came up with that works, she thinks! She hopes! Aah, oh geez, Edelgard just realizes that every time she looks down, she gets a glips of Rhea’s breasts. Even if they’re halfway submerged… no, she can’t stare at that either! “And having… um, having company is nice too. I don’t suppose… I don’t think that the bathhouse would be nearly as… as um, as enjoyable if I had not the company to b… to join me.”

“Yeah! Bathhouses are always a lot more fun when you have company.” Flayn chippers excitedly. She really is so carefree and stuff, it’s hard to imagine she’s a thousand-year-old dragon underneath. “I wish I could go accompanied more often too, but it’s not exactly like I can ask my brother to come with me, and I’m not as familiar with the other students. So I actually don’t get a lot of chances to come either.”

“I agree, although as for me, it has more to do with my position as archbishop that prevents me from acting… familiar, with most other people.” Then why are you being so familiar with meee!? Edelgard doesn’t understand! “Perhaps we could make this more of a habit, if you have no oppositions? Flayn, you, and I, us three together… we can enjoy the sauna by ourselves whenever we have time, and the sauna is cleared.”

“Oh, that would be a wonderful idea!” Flayn no! It’s not a wonderful idea!

“I-I… I s-, um… I suppose that wouldn’t, uh, that wouldn’t be a bad idea at all…” Aah that’s not what she meant to say at all. Aaaaaaa. She was supposed to come up with some excuse as to why Flayn and Rhea should just… go together! Alone! But, oh goddess, Edelgard’s really stuck. “If… uhh, just, just as long as I have free time, I… I suppose I wouldn’t mind it…” 

“Yay!”

“That pleases me to hear.”

Noooo! Oh, Edelgard can’t stand this anymore. This is too much! Rhea is going to hit on her even more and suggest even more ways to trap her in her web of… no, don’t even go there. Edelgard can’t think such sapphic thoughts right now. It’s too much. Quickly getting up, Edelgard excuses herself, “Um, I… I think I’ve… I think I should step out now. I… um, yeah.”

“Aww, okayy.”

“Hmm, so soon? Won’t you stay a while, Edelgard?”

“N-no, I think… I think I’m good! Um, I… I’ll see you… next time…?”

Aaah. Edelgard picks up a towel and wraps it around herself as she hurries out, leaving the two behind to chat amongst themselves. She can’t believe it. Just last night, she… and now today, an encounter with Rhea that… that got her to see her nude…! This is so unreal…! This is going to plague her for the entire day, or maybe the entire week! ...Nah, don’t exaggerate, the kidnapping of Flayn is going to soon be on everyone’s mind, so. 

...But still! Gahh! Rhea really knows how to make her blush! So annoying...


	5. Daughter's Indecision

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As the search for Flayn ensues, Edelgard finds herself increasingly conflicted with her own agenda. A new lead discovered by Hubert, however, helps reinvigorate her resolve. ...Somehow.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This took so long to do cause oh god I'm so sick right now. It was really hard making myself finish writing this cause I just wanna keep playing video games instead of writing. I hope my mind stops getting fogged up cause I really wanna do more.

Edelgard steps through the door into Seteth’s office and closes the door behind her, and takes a seat once the man motions for her to do so. His expression is tense, and his demeanour is paranoid, as she would expect. After all, Flayn has been missing for about a week now.

“You must know why I have asked to see you in my office, Edelgard.” Seteth begins, his tone revealing of his emotions and his voice revealing of his fatigue. He must have spent a lot of time searching for his little sister himself. Little did he know she is currently being held underneath the monastery. “You were seen with her just two days before she went missing. Perhaps you would care to explain what you were doing with her on that day?”

“I understand that you are nervous, Seteth, but please do not speak in such an accusatory tone with me. I am just as worried as you are for her safety.” Wearing a frown, Edelgard explains in a soft and comforting tone, even though she has everything to do with Flayn’s kidnapping, short of actually performing the kidnapping herself, which she regrets having to leave to Jeritza. She would have loved to tie Flayn up herself…

“I… you’re right. I’m sorry, I really need to calm myself.” Feeling ashamed of how he behaved towards her now, Seteth sighs and shakes his head, his controlled frown even broader than before. Poor Seteth… “But, please, do let me know what happened that day. Maybe there is something there that can help pinpoint, or… or even just, help figure out where she might have disappeared off to.”

“Of course.” Edelgard’s lucky she’s trained herself to completely remove her actual emotions from her face, so she can look just as concerned and upset as Seteth himself, and look genuine about it, while also not really feeling bad about the situation. “That day, I was… restless and tense about the upcoming mission, so Flayn approached me and offered to take me to the bathhouse.”

“You… wait, you went to the bathhouse with Flayn?” Oh oops, guess Flayn never told Seteth about that? Edelgard supposes with how overprotective he is, it probably makes sense that she wouldn’t want to tell him these things, lest he forbid her from it. “I was never informed of this…”

“Uh, yes…” Well that’s a little awkward, but keep going. Just. Retell the accounts of what happened, and only the parts that need mentioning. “Flayn and I went to the bathhouse, and we enjoyed a nice relaxing bath there together. Halfway through it, Lady Rhea… Lady Rhea joined us. For the bath, I mean.”

“L-Lady… Lady Rhea joined you for the bath!?” Oh, guess Rhea never told Seteth that either. Wow, this is a little awkward. This feels like some level of infidelity on… on Flayn’s and Rhea’s part. Oopsies. “I… um, apologies, please do continue.”

“Yes…” Edelgard explains, trying to… ignore Seteth’s incredibly awkward expression. Guess asides from his sister’s disappearance, now he also has to worry about the fact that the people closest to him are keeping things from him. This feels a little NTR. “And that is about the long and short of it. Once I left the bath, and Flayn and Rh-, err, Lady Rhea to their own devices, that was about the last time I have seen Flayn.”

“I… I see…” Somehow, Seteth seems even more troubled than before, as if the kidnapping is no longer the only thing that’s on his mind. Crossing his arms and leaning back in his chair, he contemplates for a moment, before reengaging in the conversation. “Edelgard, I thank you for the information you have provided, even if it did not necessarily provide a lead. Or, no, rather I should not say that, it did.”

“Oh? And what would that lead be?” Edelgard is actually kinda curious, what in that story could Seteth have gotten to be useful information? The bathing part? Nah, she doubts he’s that kind of person. Although she wouldn’t be entirely sure, she doesn’t actually know him that well, on account of never really interacting with him much.

“Lady Rhea…” Sighing a heavy sigh, Seteth repeats, his brows furrowing, “Lady Rhea has… Although I am her aide, I feel like recently she has been keeping more and more information from me, even on important decisions like the decision to hire your professor. Or… or even to tend to your injuries personally. It actually makes me quite uncomfortable with how much she keeps from me, especially considering how we’re… In either case, I never thought I will have to question Lady Rhea for information regarding this.”

“Is that the case…?” Hmmm. It’s fun thinking about what Seteth’s and Rhea’s relationship is like, although Edelgard supposes she probably shouldn’t take it too far with her imagination. After all, Rhea is h-... hm, no. No, it’s better not to think about that. “Her… I’ll admit, her behaviour has been puzzling to me as well. She has been acting overly familiar with me for a while now, and I can never really understand why. I don’t suppose you’re able to shed any light on…?”

“Under the best case scenario, yes, I would be able to. But unfortunately that is not the case.” His expression softening up a bit in sympathy for Edelgard, Seteth continues sadly, “I just… I just wish she would tell me why she is doing the things she is doing! She is like family to me, and it… it really upsets me that she keeps her own agenda from me. I don’t even know why she is behaving like that towards you, and it makes me feel uncomfortable as well. Not that there’s anything wrong with you, just the fact that I don’t understand why she is doing it.”

“Truly…”

Huh, Edelgard never thought she would one day empathize with Seteth like this, someone who is sided with her mortal enemies, and yet here she is, doing exactly that. Even he looks a bit softened up by this conversation, the both of them sharing a moment of silence in this revelation that they have a lot in common.

“Well, if I find any leads, I will let you know right away, Seteth.” It’s time to conclude the conversation, Edelgard feels like any longer and it would start to get awkward. Standing up, she gives a polite bow, and says, “And… do let me know too, if you have any leads as well. It would benefit us both to share whatever intelligence we can gather. I promise, we will find Flayn together.”

“I… I thank you, Edelgard.” Finally, a small smile. One worn down by fatigue, but a smile nonetheless, and that actually kinda makes Edelgard feel good. “I am in your debt, Edelgard. Please, if there is anything you ever need help with, please do let me know.”

“Of course, Seteth.”

Despite practically being interrogated by Seteth, this meeting actually turned out to be way more constructive than Edelgard had imagined. And she got to know Seteth a little better! Who knew that the best way to get to him was to kidnap Flayn? Maybe she should do it more often! ...Nah, kidding. That’s Kronya’s kind of humour.

Either way, time to return to acting like she’s actually helping with the investigation, while not actually doing anything to sabotage her own plans.

\---

And of course, by that, it means having yet another boring meeting with Hubert.

Edelgard always dreads these, as they’re so stiff and boring, and yet they’re so important to achieving her goals. She really hopes that in the future, meetings will be less… irritating. Whatever. ...Wow, weird that she’s thinking like that, she used to be so on top of things, always awaiting the next report from Hubert so she can further her ambitions. What happened? Maybe she’s getting soft. That won’t do. Steeling her resolve, the imperial princess shapes up and heads to the secret meeting with her subordinate.

Meeting with Hubert, once again a safe location away from prying and suspicious ears, Edelgard is greeted right away with a status report. No time for formalities, after all, especially not when the atmosphere at the monastery is so tense and suspicious. “Lady Edelgard, I believe I have found a lead for your quest to seek out the Crest stones. After sending Linhardt on the mission to seek out potential locations where Crest stones may be hidden, he has discovered a sealed off mausoleum that has shown signs of having been entered.”

“Intriguing. That certainly sounds like someplace the Immaculate One would seek to hide the Crest stones, somewhere no one would think to check.” Edelgard notes, mentally reminding herself of the importance of her mission. After all, it is her aspiration to overthrow the reins of the church so that humans will be free of Rhea’s corrupting influence once and for all. It is of paramount importance that she succeeds. “How might I find my way into this mausoleum?”

“Ah, therein lies the tricky part. The mausoleum is sealed off intricately with a cipher system I do not believe we will be able to crack, as it is likely created in a manner in which only the archbishop and those close to her can access it.” Hubert describes, but as his expression is unchanged, it is pretty clear he already has a solution in mind. “However, as I have also discovered, the mausoleum is not sealed off from magic, meaning you should be able to Warp into and out of it with ease if you know where it is. That way, you can ensure no one will ever know you have infiltrated it.”

“Hm, how ingenious. You have everything planned out ahead of time, don’t you Hubert? You have met my expectations well.” Edelgard praises with a small smile on her face. She IS rather impressed with how thorough he is with his work, it’s nice having someone to handle all the preparations so she can get right into the action. Maybe this step… maybe this is the step that will finally rid her of all her strange feelings about Rhea. As attractive as the archbishop is, the imperial princess has an agenda to fulfill, after all. “This mission will have to wait for after Flayn has been recovered, however. Until then, I am afraid that there is far too much suspicion in the monastery to make a move like that. Even earlier today, I was interrogated by Seteth regarding her disappearance.”

“Is that so? That is rather troubling.” Hubert once again does the thing where he crosses his arms and rests his chin upon his hand in rumination as he contemplates the implications of that information. “It almost feels as if every day, the Church of Seiros is creeping towards us in their exposing of our plans… What have you told him?”

“Nothing incriminating, as there wasn’t anything suspicious I could have told him anyways.” There is no way Edelgard is telling Hubert that Flayn took her to a bathhouse, and that she also bathed with the archbishop. That is personal, and has nothing to do with their ambitions. “All I told him was that Flayn approached me two days before her disappearance and spent leisure time with me, and that that was the last time I saw her before she went missing. He doesn’t seem suspicious of me, although he does appear to be disappointed that he was never informed of this by his sister.”

“Leisure time, huh…?” Uh oh, maybe Edelgard should have worded that differently. Hubert is always weird about Edelgard having friends and whatnot, but friends with a dragon…? Whatever, he seems to ignore it for now. It’s none of his business what she does in her free time anyways. “Either way, if the Church is this suspicious of our activities, we ought to expedite our plans even more. Perhaps next moon, once you have located the Crest stones, we shall begin our insurrection?”

“That would be far too hasty.” Oh there she is again, delaying her own plans. What is she doing…? Edelgard still can’t understand it, but it just came out almost reflexively before she can actually think through the decision. And now, she’s finding herself coming up with excuses… this isn’t like her. The imperial princess… she’s changing so subtly, but even she’s starting to notice something’s wrong with her. “We need time to ensure that Metodey and his forces can move into position without detection first, and there is no way we can do something like that this moon. We should move ahead with the insurrection the moon after we uncover the Crest stones, so that we can be better prepared to usurp the power of the Church.”

“...Very well, if that is what you feel to be for the best, Lady Edelgard.” Great, even Hubert is noticing it now. Edelgard’s not being herself, and it’s starting to be obvious. As long as… as long as Hubert doesn’t do anything about that, Edelgard is sure that it’s going to be okay. But she’s really starting to get uneasy about him, given his track record of doing whatever he wants in her name, if he thinks it’s for the best. Perhaps… yes, there will have to be a change of plans, when the professor inevitably finds Flayn. “We should soon adjourn this meeting, it would not do us well to remain away from the monastery for so long when tensions are so high. Shall we return, Lady Edelgard?”

“Of course. That will be for the best.”

\---

The revolution… the revolution that is supposed to change the course of history of Fódlan by eradicating the Church of Seiros and uniting the continent… This has long been Edelgard’s agenda, ever since she uncovered the truth about the Church. This is something she has planned for years, slowly pulling strings and bringing everything together, so that towards the end of her stay at the monastery, she will be able to forever free humanity from the shackles of the dragons.

Her reign as the sole emperor over Fódlan will be a meritocratic one, where corrupt and entitled nobles are removed from power, and replaced with those suited to the position, commoner or not. Crests as they exist will no longer provide anyone with any kind of birthright, so that tragedies like the one Lysithea and her endured, or like the one Miklan Gautier suffered, will never occur again. Upward mobility in society will be greater than it has ever been, and her reign shall be remembered as the one where all of humanity were made equal…

...And yet, every time she thinks about the kindness Flayn and Rhea have shown her, Edelgard’s heart aches. Even Seteth has been kind to her. To plot against the Church of Seiros like this… almost felt like cheating, or some level of infidelity, a breach of trust. When she finally raises her banner in revolt, and leads the assault on Garreg Mach, Edelgard have no doubt in her mind that her actions would fill the three with disbelief, betrayal, and… disappointment?

No matter. Edelgard reminds herself that this is something she has already prepared herself for long ago. It is a revolution after all, there is no way it could ever happen without some level of bloodshed and heartbreak, something she had already resolved to face no matter how harsh it becomes. The path towards a better future is one ladened with blood, and she shall tread it, even if she must do so alone…

That’s right. If it’s for the sake of humanity, Edelgard is willing to make any sacrifices.

...Maybe… just maybe though, she will not have to kill Flayn, Seteth, or even Rhea. Even just removing them from power should suffice. After all, just because she has to shed blood, doesn’t mean Edelgard revels in it.

Yeah, that’s right. Perhaps, simply removing the three from power and keeping them from ever seizing power again, should suffice…

\---

“Everyone, hurry! I heard a scream coming from Professor Jeritza’s room!”

Ah, there’s the cue, from the unknowing Caspar. It’s time for Edelgard to put her… slightly altered plans into action. As the group enters Jeritza’s room, Edelgard calls out, fully knowing that he is not, “Professor Jeritza? Are you there?”

However, quickly enough the group finds Manuela lying on the ground, injured and unconscious. This… was not part of the plan, but Edelgard isn’t surprised that it happened anyways. Jeritza… when he’s become the Death Knight, he’s uncontrollable, only able to be commanded by either her or Arundel. It’s rather inconvenient.

“He does not seem to be here… Hm? On the ground? Professor Manuela!” Hubert is quite the actor too, both him and Edelgard have long practiced entirely removing their true emotions from their expressions and their tones of voice, so they can better mask their intentions from the members of the Church.

“Is she injured!?” Byleth exclaims, hurrying to examine the fallen professor. Hm, she’s putting a lot of energy into this, perhaps Edelgard should show more concern about the situation as well.

“She’s unconscious, someone clearly attacked her.” Nope, not enough emotions.

“Look at her hand. It looks as though she is pointing at something…” Well, at least Hubert’s usual behaviour being really weird helps him when his acting is not entirely convincing. His creepiness really works in his favour when his acting fails him. “There.”

“There’s an opening behind that shelf. Perhaps a secret passage…” Hm, at least Edelgard can be sure that everyone’s panicked enough that they’re probably not paying as much attention to her unusuall calm demeanour in the face of a dire situation. Thankfully though, someone else entering soon takes the attention away from her.

“What is the meaning of… Wait, is that Manuela!?” Hi Professor Hanneman, perfect timing. This will do nicely for Edelgard’s… alternate plans. “What happened here?”

“We know as much as you do. She needs to be taken to the infirmary.” There, this is the perfect opportunity to ditch Hubert and do what she needs to do. Turning to him, who seems surprised that she’s directing this at him, Edelgard says quickly, “Hurry, offer Professor Hanneman a hand.”

“R… Right away, Lady Edelgard.” Hubert pretty clearly doesn’t seem to have anticipated the princess suddenly making a change of plans, but he nevertheless obeys. Helping Hanneman with taking care of Manuela, he says to Byleth, before leaving the room, “Professor, I shall return promptly, I trust you will take care of this swiftly.”

Now that Hubert is gone, and will be kept busy for a while, Edelgard can finally do what she sought out to do. The original plan she had made with him was for her to be the one who’s missing in action, so that she can prepare herself to make an appearance as the Flame Emperor, but she no longer… really wants to do that. After all, with the amount of uncertainty and doubt that has been plaguing her, she almost feels as if making a debut as the Flame Emperor would lead to unwanted complications down the road. Hubert may object later, but she’ll just make up some excuse for it when that transpires.

For now though, to focus on the mission. Already, the Death Knight seems surprised that Edelgard herself is joining the battle, but that is of no consequence to the princess. The only issue is that she will not be able to just… tell the Death Knight to stand down as the imperial princess, something she’d be able to do as the Flame Emperor. But that’s fine, it’s whatever. Edelgard is sure she’ll make things work out one way or another.

Besides, getting to fight alongside Professor Byleth… is always a treat. Not only is her fighting technique always a delight to behold, and complements Edelgard’s own brutish combat tactics well, that assassin outfit is incredibly attractive. A little distracting, honestly, at least For Edelgard. Not only does it show off her bust rather nicely by being so tight, it also shows off something the princess seldom has the privilege of beholding: Byleth’s navel. It really is an underappreciated point of beauty for her professor, and nothing like the assassin outfit to show it off…!

Ah, but distractions aside, when it finally comes time to face the Death Knight, Edelgard charges first into battle, not letting anyone else take her spot. After all, she needs to… somehow get across to him that he needs to leave, now. So to that end, she doesn’t pull any punches at all, swinging her axe at him with wild abandon, while he strikes back with his Scythe of Sariel with equal glee, seeming to indulge in bloodshed even against his superior.

When the both of them finally seem sufficiently worn down… Edelgard contemplates how she’s even going to tell him to stand down so they can “complete” their mission. It’s just then though, that thankfully, Thales appears to handle what the Flame Emperor would have handled.

“That is enough for now, Death Knight. Stand down.”

“I… I still have yet to kill…”

“You will get your chance to play later. For now, stand down.”

“Very well.”

Byleth seems eager to give chase as soon as the Death Knight Warps away, but Thales stands in the way. He does not raise a finger against her, but exudes a threatening enough aura for her to temporarily back off, her brows furrowed and her grip on her Sword of the Creator tight.

Giving Edelgard a knowing look, before turning his gaze towards Byleth in stead, Thales snarls, “Professor, the wielder of the Sword of the Creator… You will do well to remember Those Who Slither In The Dark. You best be on your guard, for we shall meet again soon…”

And, away he Warps. Edelgard is sure she will get an earful from him as the Flame Emperor later on for suddenly abandoning her original plan to make an appearance, but she’ll deal with it when that happens. For now though, she quickly turns her attention to the fallen Flayn and Kronya in her Monica disguise, before hurrying to pick the former up in her arms. Byleth quickly follows and picks Monica up as well, before Edelgard declares, “We finally found Flayn… we should hurry back. Flayn and the other student need urgent care.”

“Understood. Let’s hurry.” Byleth agrees, as the group exits the labyrinthal underground behind.

Why the sudden change of plans, and why she dedicates herself so much to playing the role, going as far as carrying Flayn herself in her arms… Edelgard still doesn’t understand. It just felt right in the moment, to shirk the original script in favour of having an opportunity to hold Flayn in her arms, and to… earn Seteth’s approval, she supposes.

A small groan comes from Flayn as she stirs in Edelgard’s arms, before her eyes opens a bit. This… surprises the princess, for some reason, but her surprise is quickly replaced with warmth, as Flayn says weakly before passing back out, “Edelgard… you, you saved me…”

...Yeah, this was the right thing to have done.


	6. Mother's Threat

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Despite the heartfelt moments Edelgard spends with Flayn and Seteth, trouble looms upon the horizon as she infiltrates the mausoleum and uncovers more than she could have anticipated.

“Professor, Edelgard… Please, allow me to express my eternal gratitude once more. Flayn is safe and sound, and I have you to thank for that. Mere words could never express how thankful I am. I… I am indebted to you.”

Once again, Edelgard is back in Seteth’s office, this time alongside her professor, as Seteth’s overjoyed smile warms her heart. The imperial princess never thought herself one for the gratitude of a dragon like Seteth, but earning it has done nothing but fill her with a sense of fulfillment. After all, he’s never really shown much but indifference and suspicion towards her, for him to show a more tender side to her for once… Edelgard could get used to it.

“I couldn’t have done it without the students, without Edelgard.” Byleth says modestly, as she looks towards her student with a proud look in her eyes, one that makes the princess blush. It’s always nice to please the professor like this, and to hear her praises. It fills her with a warm and fuzzy feeling inside. “I am glad to have her at my side.”

“Professor… You’re making me blush.” Byleth really knows how to make her feel shy at every opportunity, doesn’t she? Edelgard would feel bad getting all the attention to herself on an occasion such as this though, so she turns the attention back to Seteth, and says, “I am just glad Flayn is safe and sound. I hope she is recovering well.”

“Yes, I do too. I am… I am simply overjoyed.” Aww, Seteth. What a kind and caring dad. Edelgard knew that he and Flayn are close, but actually seeing him like this… it really tugs at her heartstrings!

Continuing on a more serious note though, Seteth explains, “Her kidnapper was the masked knight who vanished during the Rite of Rebirth. The one known as the Death Knight. Considering the circumstances, it seems plausible to assume that his true identity is Jeritza.”

It’s kind of awkward listening to Seteth explain things to Edelgard that she already knew, since she kinda has a direct hand in this entire episode happening. But nevertheless, she listens attentively, as if this is all news to her. She kinda has to anyways.

“However, I have an idea. I believe the enemy may have been after Flayn’s blood.” Very good, Seteth! You got it! That’s exactly what Those Who Slither In The Dark was after! More specifically, Solon, whom Edelgard has a growing distrust for. “The blood that flows through her veins is very special. It is extremely rare… and extremely dangerous. If the enemies who knew of the secrets of Flayn’s blood have appeared, our only option is to leave the monastery and go into hiding.”

Oh. Oh dear, that wasn’t what Edelgard was hoping would happen. Oh she needs to say something about this before he really decides that they have t-

“Brother, wait.”

Oh! Flayn! Edelgard finds herself smiling the moment she sees the girl up and well again, even though it was kind of her fault that she was not okay for a whole month. She pretty much immediately exclaims, “Flayn! Are you feeling better already?”

Seteth though, is a lot more concerned about this than Edelgard is, and asks in a worried voice, “Flayn?! What are you doing here? You should be resting!”

“I will be okay, Edelgard. Thanks to you.” Flayn’s smile really makes Edelgard’s heart skip a beat… She soon turns her attention to Seteth though, as she protests his plans, just as the imperial princess had hoped she would. “I do not like the path of your thoughts. I do not wish to live in some lonely, remote location where I never get to see anyone. Not ever again.”

Not ever again, huh? Edelgard supposes it only makes sense that Saint Cethleann has been hiding in a long time, to mask the fact that she is more or less immortal to anyone whom she has ever known. The same with Saint Cichol. This train of thought makes her wonder if the two of them simply go into hiding every few decades, before reemerging for a few decades, until their lack of aging starts to get suspicious to those who knew them once again. What a life to live that would be…

“If we stay here, you may be targeted again! Wouldn’t it be better for the two of us to live in peace?”

“Even if we ran off to some new, secret location, there is no guarantee that they would not find us.”

“I see your point, however…”

“Seteth, she is right, you know.” Edelgard steps in, knowing full well that Solon would locate the pair in no time if they are to disappear right now. And, even… and even if she has an agenda to fulfill, she would rather not leave the pleasure of handling Flayn to someone like Solon, if she can handle her herself. “Would it not be safer for Flayn to join our class, so that we will always be there to look after her, and keep her safe from her pursuers?”

“Yes! That was what I was about to suggest!” Flayn exclaims excitedly, as she looks towards Edelgard with hopeful eyes. Aww, looks like the two of them have the same train of thought! How pleasant. “What if I were to join Edelgard’s house? I believe I will be much safer there, with both her and the professor to look after me.”

“That is a great idea.” Byleth chimes in, much to Edelgard’s pleasure. She was hoping her professor would be understanding and accept Flayn into her class, and it looks like she was right about that! “I would gladly take Flayn into my class.”

“Yes! With Edelgard nearby, I shall be safe no matter what foe should appear!” Aww, Flayn! If only you knew who arranged for your kidnapping! Wow, this makes Edelgard feel kind of like a scumbag, mishandling someone as innocent as Cethleann’s trust like this… But it’s just how things are. Can’t achieve her goals without breaking a few hearts here and there, she supposes.

“I… I see.” Seteth sighs and thinks for a moment before responding, turning to Byleth, “Professor… Due to my position, I have closely scrutinized everything about you. After all that has happened, I must admit that you are indeed… a trusted ally. So, what say you? Can I entrust you with Flayn’s safety?”

“It would be my pleasure.”

“And Edelgard,” Seteth turns his attention to the princess this time, “I trust that you will take responsibility for Flayn’s safety, and closely attend to her security?”

“Brother! I hope you’re not asking her to emulate your overprotectiveness!” Flayn seems to be a little annoyed with Seteth now, and Edelgard can only imagine why. After all, he’s always so strict and unyielding with looking after her, and now he’s asking her to do the same!

“F-Flayn! After what has happened, I’m simply concerned about you!”

“Don’t you worry a thing, Seteth.” Edelgard reassures, stepping in before the two can get into another bout of bickering about overprotecting Flayn. Oh, what an amusing father-daughter pair they are. “I will ensure that no harm comes to Flayn. Maybe I won’t go to the extremes you do, but truly, you will have nothing to worry about.”

“I will take your word for it then, Edelgard.”

Seeing Flayn so happy, and seeing Seteth so trusting of her… Edelgard once again wonders if it really is okay that she will have to face them on the field of battle someday. There is no reason she will have to see them dead, no, she can… she can probably send them an ultimatum, allowing them a chance to retreat into hiding, so that she will not be forced to fight them. But still… 

No matter what happens, starting the revolution is going to be a difficult decision to make, when she has grown so close to her mortal enemies.

\---

Ah, but of course, as expected, the next time she meets with Thales as the Flame Emperor, Edelgard gets quite an earful about how she went against her original plans, and how she inconvenienced him by requiring him to step in to order the Death Knight to stand down. And also about how Flayn is in the Black Eagles House now, and yaddy yaddy yah… Dealing with him really is a pain.

At least it’s not difficult for the Flame Emperor to convince him that what she did was a necessary change of plans, with how close the Church of Seiros is to investigating the imperial princess. Seteth interrogating her pretty quickly after Flayn disappeared, Archbishop Rhea just being uncomfortably close all the time… The Flame Emperor is able to argue that the things she did was a necessity in lying low so the Church does not expose her plans prematurely. After all, nothing so far has happened according to expectations, it only makes sense that they have to change things up on the fly. This seems a response satisfactory enough to Thales… for now.

To really convince him that she is still totally on board with the whole thing though, the Flame Emperor mentions the hidden mausoleum that Hubert has uncovered just last moon, that potentially holds the Crest stones they have been looking for. And therefore, this moon, she will undertake the mission to infiltrate the mausoleum and recover the Crest stones in secret, so they can begin their insurrection without delay. And thankfully, that was enough to convince Thales.

Goddess though, Edelgard really tires of dealing with this guy. She understands that it’s a necessity to cooperate with him so she can achieve her goal of undermining the Church, especially considering how Those Who Slither In The Dark has been working on this for ages before she came along. But she’s almost certain that Thales is responsible for the suffering she has gone through, and that he has absolutely no interest in continuing to help her past a certain point. Having to keep him around rather than eradicating him right away… it really is a pain, one she’s going to have to deal with for a few more years.

In all honesty though, Edelgard really can’t wait to eradicate his kind forever, once her dominance over Fódlan has been achieved. She may not have all the information she needs on him, and will have to acquire more through Hubert, but she nevertheless has a basic understanding of the organization with which she is contending. It should be enough for a launching point against Thales and his damnable brethrens.

Someday…

\---

Aah, for now though, as the houses prepare for the Battle of Eagle and Lion, many have taken up participation in the fishing tournament Seteth has arranged, as a way to cheer Flayn up after the ordeal she has suffered. Normally, Edelgard wouldn’t even think of participating, as she isn’t that interested in fishing, or even being that close to the water, but considering how close she and Flayn has become… she almost feels an obligation to do it for her. So, she ends up participating nonetheless.

Goddess though, Edelgard has long known that Seteth, or Saint Cichol, is actually Flayn’s, or Saint Cethleann’s, father, and not actually her brother. And that he’s extremely overprotective. But she’s never really taken the time to consider how much that really comes from a place of deep love for his daughter. After all, she’s only really considered them as enemies she is going to have to face in the future, so to actually… see, and feel, his vast kindness and love for his daughter… 

...It almost makes Edelgard wish her father looked after her that way too. Of course, it’s not his fault that he wasn’t able to, as he is the emperor, and… went through so much civil strife against his own vassals, who were supposed to be loyal to him. So there was no way he had the emotional capacity or even time and energy left to cherish Edelgard the way she would have always liked… So to see Seteth treat Flayn the same way she had always wished her father would, it really…

Ah goddess, Edelgard’s really not being herself, is she? No, that’s not really true, she has always had a tender side. It’s just that she never gets to show it in any context, as she’s always forced to be the imperial princess, the heir to the Empire, someone who can’t show any kind of vulnerability, lest her enemies take advantage of it. But, maybe in some idyllic future, where Edelgard isn’t forced to be strong all the time, it might be… it might be nice to have a father figure like Seteth to look after her, the same way he looks after Flayn…

Not that it has to be him necessarily, but…

“Hey Edelgard, you’re in the fishing tournament too?” Oh, Catherine. Her voice brings Edelgard out of her own thoughts, as she takes a seat on the water’s edge next to the princess. How unexpected, Edelgard doesn’t believe they’ve ever really socialized much before. “Heh, I’m surprised, I’ve never seen you fish before.”

“Ah, well, it never hurts to try out a new hobby. As there is a fishing tournament, what better time than now to try it?” Edelgard responds with a smile. At least Catherine isn’t bad company, she’s a bit of a chattermouth, but that’s about it. This might be a good opportunity to get to know her better.

“Heheh, you’re right about that. Fishing can be a really fun sport if you know what you’re doing. The key is to getting used to sitting around waiting for a bite. Oh! There’s one!” The knight explains, her countenance just as friendly as Edelgard is used to seeing it, as she starts reeling the catch up. It’s a violent struggle between her and the fish, a battle Edelgard has never expected fishing would be, before she finally manages to pull up a massive fish. “Hah! A Queen Loach! Would you look at that!”

“Whoa… that’s impressive! I never thought a line like that would be sufficient to reel up a fish of that size!” Edelgard exclaims, fairly impressed by the catch. She’s seen this kind of fish served up in the dining hall before, but it never occurs to her how the process of catching it would actually be like, nevertheless actually seeing it happen. “You have a lot of experience with this, don’t you?”

“Heh, of course! Gotta give Flayn the fish she craves!” Catherine laughs as she sets the Queen Loach asides, attaches another bait to the hook, and casts the line once again. How charming… she really is blessed with an extrovertism envied even by Edelgard herself. “Say, Edelgard, why don’t we have a little friendly competition, you and I? See if you can catch a Queen Loach bigger than mine?”

“Oh, I would have to concede early, I doubt I can ever reel in one bigger than that, let alone a Queen Loach at all!” Edelgard laughs along, as she finally manages to reel up an Airmid Goby, a fairly unimpressive fish of unimpressive proportions. “I am simply a beginner to the art of fishing, you know!”

“Heheh, I am just teasing.”

As the merrymaking dies down, and gives way to a serene quietness as the two fishes together, to the backdrop of many of Edelgard’s other classmates fishing and joking with each other, Edelgard notices her fishing companion’s expression changing. From simply an outgoing cheerfulness, to a more serious one lurking beneath her smile. Seems like there is more Catherine has planned to talk about instead of just fishing when she set herself down next to her…

“Say, Edelgard,” ah, there it is, Edelgard has been expecting a more serious conversation from the holy knight, “you know, I’ve been wondering for a while, but. Why do you get special treatment from Lady Rhea?”

“H-huh?” Oh. Hm. Edelgard kinda was hoping Catherine wouldn’t go there, but it looks like it was inevitable that someone else points it out. This is getting uncomfortable fast. “How do you mean?”

“Oh, don’t play dumb with me now, Edelgard.” Catherine doesn’t seem… angry or even irritated, but Edelgard can start to hear in her words that this is something that has been upsetting to the holy knight. “The way she talks to you, the way she talks about you, the way she approaches you… let’s not forget the two times she personally tended to your injuries.”

Oh, this is really uncomfortable. Edelgard kinda really doesn’t wanna talk about this right now, especially not with Catherine. Nevertheless, she continues.

“Just… man, why you, Edelgard?” The knight keeps her more pleasant demeanour up, despite the anger underneath her voice, “I can get that you’re the imperial princess and all, but it’s not like you’re the only royalty here. There’s also the crown prince, and Duke Riegan’s grandson. Besides, it’s not like I’ve done any less for Lady Rhea than you have, but I don’t even get the same kind of special treatment as you. Or even the professor, for that matter.

“Just… what makes you so different, Edelgard? What do you have that I don’t?”

By now, Edelgard’s kinda frozen in place, cold sweat rolling down her back. She has no idea that this entire time, Rhea’s treatment of her… isn’t making just her uncomfortable, that it was making Catherine uncomfortable as well. And now this kind of hostility coming from her… Edelgard kind of really wish it wouldn’t be so. It’s a level of attention she doesn’t want from a holy knight, not just for personal reasons, but because it jeopardizes her plans as well.

“...Heh, sorry for killing the mood a bit.” Catherine… she seems to have noticed that Edelgard, frozen in fear, has let a bite go, and that the bait is no longer on her line, so she backs off a bit. Nevertheless, she concludes the conversation, even if the princess has yet to respond, “I’m gonna be keeping an eye on you from now on, Edelgard. I want to find out what you’re doing right that I’m not, and what you’re like that I’m not, that earns Lady Rhea’s affection.”

“If you… if you say so.” This is really uncomfortable, and is definitely not a development Edelgard has been looking for. This is going to even further jeopardize her plans… she’s going to have to let Hubert know about this. Just… what can she even say in this situation? 

Thankfully, the awkward tension between them is broken, as Shamir suddenly announces, “Professor Byleth has caught the fish Flayn craves, the fishing tournament is now over.”

“Aww, damn, guess I was a step behind, huh?” Catherine laughs, all traces of her jealousy and ire disappeared from her demeanour as she pulls her line back in, and picks up her catch. Looking back down at Edelgard with once again friendly eyes, she motions with her head, “Come on now, let’s go check out what the professor caught that was so satisfactory to Flayn.”

“Yes, of course.”

Edelgard packs her own fishing gear up, along with the one Airmid Goby she caught, and heads back. She barely caught anything due to her inexperience with fishing, but Flayn still seems happy that she participated in the tournament nonetheless. Edelgard herself is fairly pleased as well, as she’s able to have fun with Flayn like this, and please Seteth as well, putting in the effort to participate.

But nonetheless, the conversation with Catherine remains with her. Edelgard has been so focused on herself this entire time, that she has no idea she would earn the ire of a holy knight just by… just by being a target of affection for the archbishop. How upsetting. How would she even go about dealing with Catherine…? Maybe for now, it’ll be better to… somehow keep her distracted using Hubert, so she can continue to operate without obstacles.

\---

For now though, Edelgard should really focus on her mission. It’s about halfway through the month now, just about a week and a half to the Battle of the Eagle and Lion, so she still has some time to infiltrate the mausoleum before she has to leave the monastery for the mock battle. The infiltration would have to take place at night, once she has made use of Hubert to keep Catherine off her tail, and once everyone else has gone to sleep. In the cover of darkness, she would seek the entrance of the mausoleum, and using Hubert’s coordinates, warp in without issue…

A sealed off mausoleum… Edelgard had fully expected the air to be far mustier here, far more stagnant, and for there to be much more dust covering the tombs she is walking past. And far less blazing torches lined up along the walls. Clearly, she finds, this space must still be in use by the archbishop since it is not the case. Whatever way Rhea used this space though, it is clearly not for storing crest stones, as after frustrating minutes of sifting through every tomb she can, she has found none. What a disappointingly fruitless endeavour. 

This kind of results… Hubert and Thales will not be pleased. But secretly, Edelgard sighs a breath of relief. After all, if she did in fact discover Crest stones here and pillaged them, it would mean that she would have to begin her revolution sooner, and… and it’s a step she’s really been hesitating on taking. After all, just this moon, she’s spent such quality time with Flayn and Seteth, it would… it would really hurt them to suddenly see her raising her banner so soon after that. Yeah, that’s right. This is a setback, but it’s okay to have.

Just as she was about to give up searching for Crest stones though, Edelgard finds something else. Not a crest stone, no. Rather, some kind of a strange enchanted engraving upon the wall. If she recalls properly, she has heard about engravings of this sort before, from Linhardt, during one of his ramblings about one thing or another before Edelgard cuts him off nagging about his behavior. He described these engravings as containing memories of the past. Perhaps these belong to Rhea, and hold incriminating information she will be able to use against her? What an unexpected, yet exciting development!! Quickly, she presses her hand to the engravings, and is quickly assailed with a vision. 

\---

Edelgard and Byleth are upon the field of battle, engaging the Immaculate One in combat. The emperor, dressed in imperial battle armour and wielding a relic axe the princess does not recognize, and the professor, having teal hair instead of blue, and wielding her usual Sword of the Creator, seem worn on stamina, as does the Immaculate One. The emperor’s allies are nowhere to be seen, although the princess does notice several bodies littered amongst several enormous broken dolls a distance from the site of battle. Clearly, the final battle has not gone according to plan.

The city the battle is raging in… it seems familiar to the princess, but she can’t quite identify it with the state it is currently in. Blazing fires all around, burning rubble setting the Immaculate One, Emperor Edelgard, and Byleth apart from the rest of the battlefield… From the injuries sustained by all three of the combatants, and from their weariness, Princess Edelgard quickly gathers that the battle must have been raging for a while now. And rather unfavourably for the emperor.

The Immaculate One once again lets loose a terrifying roar, such a powerful one that the Emperor and Byleth both are forced to brace themselves to avoid being blown away by its force. Slamming her claws down upon the ground, the dragon cries, “GIVE HER BACK… GIVE ME BACK MY MOTHER!! YOU TRAITOROUS THIEVES!”

Not wanting to give her a moment to land another attack on them, the Emperor and Byleth leaps forward in sync with their axe and sword glowing, striking with their blades. However, they are repeatedly repelled with teeth and claws and dragon breath, their attacks unable to bring the creature low, or even injure her enough to slow her advances. Before long, the emperor is exhausted of her strength, and unable to defend herself as the tail of the Immaculate One swings around and collides with her body, sending her flying into a pile of rubble, and impaling her upon a broken spear amongst the rubble. 

The Emperor cries out in pain as she finds herself immobilized and bleeding out. The injury is not fatal, but there is no way she can free herself from this, nor save herself at this point. Byleth is quickly distracted by this, distraught by Edelgard’s injuries, and is before long brought low as well, this time by the maws of the Immaculate One.

“GIVE HER BACK!!”

Still impaled through her abdomen, rendered helpless as she slowly bleeds to death, the Emperor can only watch as her beloved professor’s hair turns back from teal to blue, and the Crest stone bearing the Crest of Flames is removed from her chest. Emperor Edelgard’s rebellion against the Immaculate One has ended in failure and flames, and she is left watching the tyrannical beast letting out a roar of triumph, as she clutches the Crest stone in her maw. With a blinding green light spilling out from the Crest of Flames upon the stone, the vision ends.

\---

"That, dear Edelgard, is a vision from the goddess herself, showing you the fate that awaits you and your professor should we ever meet upon the fields of battle." 

Edelgard freezes in fear as she hears Rhea's voice breaking the stillness and her hands touching her shoulders. She was so entranced by the visions that she had not noticed when the archbishop had entered the mausoleum, and now she finds herself trapped with no escape. The archbishop herself, the one who slew both her and her beloved professor in the visions, standing right behind her, with her hands placed gingerly upon her shoulders…

"I hope, Edelgard," Rhea begins, softly caressing the princess's neck with her hands before gently gripping it, squeezing just enough to make breathing difficult, but not enough to asphyxiate or injure, "that you take this as a divine warning, a premonition, if you will, about the decisions you make and the actions you take. That you will refrain from making any… fatal mistakes as you tread upon your path.”

As the archbishop's hands loosen their grip, and instead roam downwards towards her chest, Edelgard tenses up even more. She had always known that the Immaculate One is a terrifying beast of unimaginable might, but to witness her power in a vision like that, and now having her caress her like this, with the princess's vulnerable throat so exposed… she dares not stop the archbishop.

"I really do not wish to hurt you, Edelgard. Out of all of the students at the academy, you… I care for you the most.” Rhea tightens her grip and squeezes her chest, before relaxing her grip and continuing, "So please do not force my hand, Edelgard. I am a forgiving woman, and I am always willing to provide second chances. But if you decide against greater wisdom to do something foolish nonetheless, I will be forced to… terminate you."

Letting go of the princess and leaving her to steep in her own terror, Rhea takes her leave, slowly, the clicks of her heels echoing throughout the mausoleum. Just before she disappears into the darkness, she turns and says one last thing. "Oh, and do clean up after yourself. The Crest stones you are looking for, you will never find them."

And then she’s gone.

That was… Linhardt said that these engravings preserve memories of the past, events that had already transpired, didn’t he…? That vision… it couldn’t have been…?

\---

For the rest of the month, Edelgard remains stricken by the visions she had seen back in the hidden mausoleum. She had informed Hubert and Thales of the failure to uncover any Crest stones within the hidden mausoleum, and that they would have to once again search for their location, much to the displeasure of both her contacts. But she had refrained from giving them any details about the visions she saw, nor her encounter with the archbishop right after. There was no reason for them to know of it, and if they had known of it, they might think poorly of her for being so affected by it. So for now, she would rather keep it to herself.

Despite that, the vision… it is so difficult not to think about. Edelgard really isn’t sure what to make of it, but now she’s become terrified of the archbishop. Every time she sees her, she is frozen with fear, not daring to look into Rhea’s piercing gaze. Nothing about the archbishop’s placid demeanour is able to calm her anymore, they just fill her with a deep sense of dread and turmoil. No amount of pleasant time spent with Flayn nor Seteth can distract Edelgard from the deep-seated sense of existential dread the Immaculate One has filled her with, with the knowledge that her revolution would end in tragedy…

The Battle of the Eagle and Lion… the Black Eagle House nevertheless emerged victorious from the mock battle, as expected. Edelgard knew there was no way they could ever fail with Professor Byleth leading them into battle, but even now, just looking at her professor fills her with a sense of guilt. That she would pull her professor into her revolution, leading to her death… 

Maybe. Just… maybe, Edelgard ought to rethink her plans...


	7. Mother's Sorrow

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Edelgard remains troubled by the vision she has seen, and seeks comfort in whoever she can.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally did it... this is a long chapter oop.

Edelgard awoke with a start. It’s… it’s been a while since she’s had such severe nightmares disrupting her sleep like this, and it’s the first time she’s had a nightmare about… the archbishop. It’s just… hard, not to think about what had happened. The vision, her threat… It even fills her hallucinations, reminding her constantly of the consequences of rebelling against the Church of Seiros. Just… how can she even think about advancing her agenda when she has seen firsthand the consequences to her action?

But even so, there is no way she can simply just abandon her plans, not when she’s come so far, and gotten so many people involved. Hubert, Those Who Slither In The Dark, Metodey… there are so many people she would be disappointing if she were to simply stop now. No, they wouldn’t just be disappointed, they would most likely take the matter into their own hands, regardless of her decision. And that situation is… arguably worse. She would potentially face a civil war, just like her father had…

Not to mention, even now, more trouble is on the horizon. Solon has disappeared, and the incident in Remire Village, and even Kronya has been hiding things from her lately. Edelgard has always known that Those Who Slither In The Dark are not trustworthy, even if they are cooperating for now, but even so, them acting directly against her own agendas… it really sets the princess on edge. Just what are they doing, and why are they making this difficult for her…?

There’s just… so much stress on her mind. And she doesn’t even feel like getting off to relieve herself of that stress. After all, how can she, when the object of her affection has… said all those things to her? Maybe… maybe the only thing she can do for now is write a note at the advice box, and hope Byleth will have some word of wisdom to sooth her worries. She usually does.

Now that she’s finally dragged her aching body out of her bed and all the way to the cathedral, all Edelgard has to do is write a note and deposit in the advice box, and hope that her professor answers it soon. But what will she even write? How would she even word this? There’s no way she can simply tell the truth. Maybe, she can… 

“I had always thought I knew who my friends were, but I feel like things are increasingly slipping out of my control. I don’t know what to do.”

Yeah, that’s good enough, Edelgard supposes. Just fold the note up, and slip it into the advice box, and hope that it goes well.

...Sighs. Guess there’s nothing more Edelgard can do for now. Asides from waiting, she supposes.

\---

The vision… it still sticks in Edelgard’s mind. It’s just so hard to forget. Where even was the battlefield in that vision? It was so… ruined, that it was difficult to tell which city the final battle took place in. The only thing she can really figure out is that it just… it felt familiar. It almost feels like she’s actually been there before, if only she can place her mind on it…

As Edelgard agonizes over this thought while looking out from the bridge connecting the cathedral to the rest of the monastery, she notices an old friend approaching her. Ah, Dimitri. She hasn’t spoken to him in a while, this might be nice.

“Good day, Edelgard. It is unusual seeing you in such a state, are you doing quite alright?” Oh Dimitri, if only you knew. But naturally, there is no way Edelgard could tell him about literally anything that has been going on. “If there’s anything troubling you, I am open to hearing about it.”

“Thank you, Dimitri. I really appreciate the sentiment.” Edelgard gives him a reassuring smile. Hm, the vision keeps coming back to her, there’s something troubling about the scenery that… that seeing Dimitri is reminding her of. But she can’t quite put her mind to it… “It’s just the recent events that have me fairly restless. When I enrolled here at the Officer’s Academy, I had not imagined that my school year would be so fraught with trouble. And now, the events at Remire Village…”

“Ah, indeed, having to handle so many responsibilities… I can not imagine it being easy having to work on such stressful missions.” Shaking his head, Dimitri expresses his sympathy. The blue on his cape… the blue… That’s right, there was that shade of blue on the battlefield. Could it have been…? “Perhaps I could help you in managing the burden by assisting you on your next mission to Remire Village?”

“That would be most appreciated, thank you Dimitri.” Ah, how kind. But that blue… yes, it would only make sense. In the vision, she must have been fighting in the Kingdom capital, Fhirdiad. And yet, Dimitri wasn’t in that vision… could he have already been…? “Say, Dimitri… I know I have often said in jest about us meeting upon the field of battle, but… if a political situation does arise in which the Empire and Kingdom are at odds against each other because of a third party… who would you choose to ally yourself with?”

“Edelgard? What… what brought this up?”

“I am just curious, is all.”

“I suppose…” Dimitri seems kind of uncomfortable with the question, but nevertheless, he considers her question. Edelgard’s not surprised he would feel that way, but… if the vision is true, it means the imperial princess may have to fell the crown prince by her own hands. That the Kingdom will side with the Church when the insurrection occurs… “I suppose it depends on who the third party is. What do you have in mind?”

“Well, I haven’t really any third party in mind yet, but…” Of course, she has to tread this carefully. She can’t just outright ask if he would side with Rhea against her, that would be kind of too obvious. So instead, she decides to play coy with it. “Anyone, I suppose. Dagda, Almyra, perhaps the Alliance, or even the Church?”

“Hm, I suppose for the former two, it should be quite obvious who I would side with, as you are my friend.” Dimitri ponders for a moment the options, pretty clearly puzzled as to why the Church would be included within the list. Nevertheless, at least the mentioning of the other options seem to mask the suspicions. “As for the Alliance or the Church… That would be a difficult option. While I suppose I would side with you over the Alliance, but if it comes to the Church… I don’t know what I would choose. I do cherish you as a friend, but to go against the Church, both for religious reasons and for the fact that the Holy Kingdom of Faerghus’s independence is due to the Church. It wouldn’t do to… betray them, I suppose.”

“Hm, yes, that does make sense.” So it’s true… Dimitri would have sided with Rhea over her, and thus it would have led to the events of her visions. How depressing. Perhaps… it would be better if she didn’t have to dirty her hands like this. Nevertheless, she has long resolved to do whatever it takes to achieve her goals, but after having seen the visions… it makes her wonder if it really is worth it, if it would only end in failure. “Thank you for entertaining my little hypothetical, I was merely curious.”

“Indeed, I can understand. After all, it isn’t long before we take our respective thrones, this kind of politics is fast looming ahead of us.” Well, at least Dimitri is understanding about it. It’s kind of nice… remembering what a friendship the two once had. And still have now. It’s a nice feeling. “I can only hope that when time comes, politics and agendas will not ruin our friendship. It would mean a lot to me that we can remain like this, despite what may come.”

“I agree. I feel the same way.”

The conversation afterwards just dwindled into small talk about unimportant things, but… this was a nice distraction. Being able to… think about the vision in a more constructive manner, rather than simply in fear, and being able to think about the other nice things in life, like her friendships… It’s just the kind of distraction Edelgard needed from the impending existential dread she feels every day now. 

\---

It is thankful that the lighter conversation from the previous day helps put Edelgard in a lighter mood, less gripped by palpable terror, as it would have made this encounter with Professor Manuela today a lot more awkward. Instead, when she encounters the professor, she is simply an image of uncertainty and worry, which, while not ideal, is still far better than pale-faced and frightened.

“Edelgard! Whatever is the matter? You don’t look well at all.” Oh, thanks for noticing, professor, it’s a little embarrassing to have that pointed out like that, but at least Manuela is doing it out of concern, and in a place where they have a degree of confidentiality. “Do you need to come with me to the infirmary? Or is there something else troubling you?”

“Oh, Professor Manuela, it is nothing of the sort. It’s simply… matters of the heart, I suppose.” It’s… putting it lightly, honestly. But with Manuela still believing that she’s just lovestruck by Dorothea, it’s the safest approach to the conversation the princess can manage while not being entirely untruthful. After all, she IS having troubled thoughts about her feelings for the archbishop. “Tell me professor, have you… have you ever felt… have you ever felt scared of someone you had feelings for?”

“Scared? Oh, dear… hmm, I do suppose on the last mission to Magdred Way, we did both witness firsthand Dorothea as a gremory eliminating a Demonic Beast along with half a dozen of knights all by herself without sustaining any serious injuries…” Oh, that’s not… that’s not what Edelgard means at all! Besides, if anything, it was more arousing to watch than it is frightening! The way the songstress just, blast her opponents to pieces with lightning and beams of light… 

“That wasn’t… that isn’t entirely what I meant.” This is a bit awkward to be correcting her professor about, but Edelgard supposes she should probably be more clear. And… uhh, clarify the misunderstanding Manuela seems to have about the object of her affections. Even if watching Dorothea is quite a pleasure. “It’s not… well, this isn’t really about Dorothea. And it’s a more… personal level of fear, I suppose.”

“Hmm, I see…” Oh oops, maybe that wasn’t the right way to put it. Now Manuela’s going to think she’s being abused or something, but… ah, whatever. There’s no reason to think too deeply on this. “Well, I suppose if there is someone I have feelings for who frightens me, I would take one of two approaches. The first is the more obvious and conventional one, where I distant myself from that person, before they can become too close to me.

“Or, if they are already close to me, I suppose the only thing that can be done is some work on our relationship. Heh, I speak like someone who has a committed relationship, but… I truly do think that if you are already close, there must be a good reason for it. If conflicts arise that would make you fear the other person, then… well, I don’t want to downplay how dangerous it could be, but if it is possible, working out differences and coming to a mutual understanding would be ideal.”

Wow, that is… surprisingly thorough of a relationship advice that Edelgard would have never expected from Manuela, someone who can’t keep a relationship for more than a date. She supposes though that it’s normal for a hopeless romantic to constantly be reading into other peoples’ relationships and finding ways to strengthen or repair them. Perhaps in hopes that someday, she will have a relationship like she had dreamed of? Perhaps.

“I see… Thank you, Professor Manuela.” Edelgard genuinely don’t really know how this is going to apply to Rhea specifically, especially since their… um, conflicts, isn’t exactly like, the… normal kinds of conflicts people would have in their relationships. Rather, it’s… kind of about Edelgard preparing a revolution to remove the archbishop from power, and Rhea having a future where she puts the Adrestian emperor to death. Not average kind of conflict in any given relationship, the princess postulates. “I will have to think about what you’ve said.”

“Of course, Edelgard. I may not be very adept at… maintaining a relationship myself, but I do very much enjoy providing advice to any student who asks.” Manuela says with a satisfied smile, although it’s clear from her tone that she understands the issue is far from over. She is perceptive like that. “And, do keep me updated, alright? I will be very interested in learning of how your relationship with Dorothea, or any other person, develops, and very happy if my advice actually provides a desirable outcome.”

“I will do my best to, Professor Manuela. Thank you, again.”

Geez, how would Edelgard ever explain to her that the person in question is Rhea? Of course, she could not, but at least the professor seems satisfied so far, and won’t be noseying around any further. And if she did, that would be rather uncomfortable. But she’s not like Hanneman, so Edelgard is sure that things will be fine with her.

She just hopes that she can… well, actually make heads or tails of what to do with the archbishop…

\---

Perhaps though, she wouldn’t even have to take it down that route. After all, if Edelgard has seen the future, perhaps she can make use of that information to better navigate her revolution against the Church of Seiros. In fact, maybe there’s even more memory engravings she can view to get more clues about what has happened in… in whatever alternate reality is shown in those visions. And maybe, through these clues, she can piece together the mistakes the other her has made that led up to her defeat at the hands of the Immaculate One. Maybe, just maybe, by using these visions as warnings, she can navigate her way to victory.

She has come so far, after all! Edelgard has done so much to prepare for this crucial goal, one that will forever dismantle the Church of Seiros and the Crest and nobility system! She has too much upon her shoulders to be giving up just because she saw one scary vision! For all she know, it could have even been a ploy devised by the archbishop to purposely frighten her away from achieving her goals. After all, there’s no saying how crafty Rhea truly is underneath her disguise. Edelgard could be falling for her trick for all she knows!

Yes, it must be it. It must be some kind of trick. Edelgard shouldn’t cease her endeavours just because of one vision, she can and should continue, even if the archbishop is bent on making things difficult for her. After all, the Crest stones are still nowhere to be found, but perhaps at this point it doesn’t even matter anymore. Just being able to stage a revolution is what truly matters.

Perhaps the library… No, there’s absolutely no chance of there being any books that could potentially help direct Edelgard in the right path, as Seteth very likely have gotten rid of any. But, you know what else is in the library? Linhardt, the Black Eagles’ bookworm full of useless trivia. He should have something that can help the imperial princess figure out a strategically sound move, in light of all the recent developments.

Or… um, hm. He normally would be at least, but it seems like today, he isn’t. Sighs, just as Edelgard needs him for something for once, he’s likely napping away in his room… He really is hopeless. How is she ever going to make use of his genius if he’s always so unreliable like this?

“Hey Your Highness, unusual to find you here in the library. I don’t suppose you’re fancying a good book with a nice warm cup of bergamot?” Oh, Claude. Edelgard’s not really sure she has the patience to deal with his bullshit today, like she’s usually able to, but maybe it’s fine to entertain him for a bit before she leaves. Hey, who knows, maybe he’ll even have some useful information.

“That does sound like an enticing option, but no, that isn’t really what I am here for today.” She frowns and shakes her head, recalling her frustrations with Linhardt as she speaks. There’s no reason to be… TOO secretive with a friend anyways. Always secrets to keep from this guy, but SOME openness helps diplomatically too. “I was hoping to find Linhardt, that bookworm, as he’s always digging through books, even ones Seteth would likely throw out the very day he discovers it.”

“Like a drawing of the Immaculate One Tomas revealed to me last month, before Seteth confiscated and likely destroyed it?” Huh? What!? Solon? Oh, what in the world is that creep doing now, involving Claude like this…? Claude is a fun friend to hang around, but when he gets his nose into business like this, he becomes like a mite; there’s absolutely no way to shake him off a lead once he has found one. “It’s quite a shame really, it was a pretty nice drawing. Very detailed, even showing a Crest stone on the beast. Wonder where it came from, and where I can find more.”

“Wait, why are you revealing this to me, Claude? You are usually very protective of your secrets. What ulterior motives do you have?” That came out a bit accusatory, but Edelgard is kind of tired of Claude always playing games. She can never believe that when he does anything for someone else’s benefit, that it genuinely comes from a place of altruism, rather than manipulation. “What are you hoping to gain from telling me this?”

“Whoa, relax Your Highness.” He quickly gets defensive, putting up his hands and all. Oh oops, maybe she displayed aggressive mannerisms when she asked her questions. That was an accident. “Since you revealed a secret of your own to me, that you’re looking for secrets hidden by the Church, I figured I reveal to you one of my own as well. Now, I’m not TRYING to imply anything or whatnot, but would it be correct of me to guess that we may have similar goals in mind snooping around like a couple of thieves?”

Claude, being against the Church? Now there’s a thought… Edelgard does suppose that as an outsider, he would likely have less loyalty towards the goddess of this continent to begin with, but… Hm, a potential ally could be useful. Although, then again, knowing Claude’s perpetual distrustfulness, he’s likely as stalwart an ally as Those Who Slither In The Dark. There is no way he could be a permanently reliable ally under any circumstances.

Nevertheless, he could be a useful source of information for now, seeing as how he’s constantly digging up dirt like this. Maybe… just maybe, he can be a contact for now, as a way for the princess to further her own ambitions. And… and keep her on task for her revolution, unimpeded by whatever the archbishop has shown her. After all, if there is image proof of the Immaculate One… it could serve as important clues as to the archbishop’s weaknesses and strengths, information that would be vital in a violent conflict against her. 

“Helloooo? Earth to Princess Edelgard? Are you still there?”

“Oh, yes of course. My apologies, I was lost in thought.” Hmm, perhaps… Yes, Edelgard should make use of this opportunity to establish a new resource. Refocusing her attention away from her thoughts and the surrounding noise instead to Claude, she comments, “I just find it intriguing that you are knowingly seeking knowledge forbidden by the Church. Surely you understand that should this kind of behaviour come to light, you would be branded as an apostate?”

“Heyy, no need to talk so loudly about that, come on.” Claude is surprisingly good at keeping calm about stuff like this, Edelgard suspects that this is likely something he has thought long about before. How interesting. “But, don’t you think it’s kind of strange, that the Church of Seiros as a religion exists only within Fódlan? Everyone here is raised to believe that the goddess is the only one that exists, but there are so many other gods and goddesses in other parts of the world. Even Petra has mentioned before in Brigid, they follow spirits instead of the goddess of Fódlan.”

“Yes, that certainly is true. Petra has mentioned that to me a few times before as well.” This is such a risky conversation to be having, but now even Edelgard is interested. Part of her wishes that having more… risky conversations like this will help her better make up her mind about how she is going to handle Rhea. “But I’m sure that the religion of Seiros is grounded in history as well, even if much of it has been obfuscated by scripture. For example, it was said that the Immaculate One was sent to aid Seiros in dealing with her enemies, but don’t you find it strange that there are no longer a single trace of the beast except in drawing, even though there are plenty of statues and artistic depictions of the saints and Seiros?”

“Exactly, and that is exactly the reason I am doing whatever I can to get my fingers on secrets like this that the Church has been hiding. I want to know exactly what this Immaculate One is, what its deal is, and just what the Church has done to rewrite history.” Oh Claude, Claude oh Claude, if only Edelgard can tell you all of that right now. But that would be far too risky to her rebellion. After all, if Claude doesn’t end up siding with her, he can end up a real thorn in her side.

“Hmhm, I wish you luck in that endeavour Claude. If you find out anymore, I would love to hear of it as well, you truly have piqued my curiosity in the subject. Of course, I will be willing to share with you intel that may be of interest to you as well, in exchange.”

“Hey, now you’re speaking my language.” But Edelgard doesn’t speak Almyran… or whatever they speak over in Almyra. “You know what? Sure thing, Your Highness. It’s fun having someone I can share the fruits of my snooping with.”

“Then it’s decided.”

Oh, what an unexpected development, but not unwelcome. Maybe this is exactly the kind of thing Edelgard needed after seeing that vision, to help her back on her feet in the revolution. Yes, yes it must be. Who knows, maybe when she begins her campaign, she can even ask Claude to join forces with her? It would certainly tip the scales in her favour against the Church, and… and Dimitri, if it came to that.

If only she can get her hallucinations to stop harassing her in the voices of Rhea, Flayn, and Seteth.

\---

It’s been about a week since she last deposited her note in the advice box, and while Edelgard has been feeling a bit less insecure about her position since then, the truth of the matter is that Solon and Kronya behaving strangely is still on her mind. So she figured it would be worth the time to check out the box once again to see if her professor has answered her note yet. Byleth should know what to do, she always seems to have all the answers to everyone’s problems, somehow.

Strangely enough though, when Edelgard reached the advice box to retrieve her note and the response attached, she finds that the handwriting is… not what she expected. It’s so much more… cursive, and a lot cleaner and prettier than Byleth’s handwriting, not that her professor’s handwriting is lacking. But… who could it be who has answered this? The only thing written on the response card is “come see me in my chambers at midnight”. This… feels a lot more like a love note than a legitimate response.

Confused, the princess decides to ask the counselor in hopes of clearing things up, “Excuse me, but does anyone else answer the notes from the advice box asides from Professor Byleth?”

“Well, before Professor Byleth attended the Officer’s Academy, the duty was primarily handled by Flayn. And before Flayn arrived, it was handled primarily by Seteth, although sometimes Lady Rhea would answer some of the notes herself as well.” The counselor answered, the response demonstrating their years of experience working here. “Even though it is primarily handled by Professor Byleth now, I notice Lady Rhea has begun answering some notes once again herself.”

“L-Lady Rhea answers… and no one else? Does Flayn no longer answer notes?”

“Not that I am aware of. She seems to be content leaving the duty to Professor Byleth.”

“I see… well, thank you for the information.”

Lady Rhea… she was the one who answered this… just what can she want after that encounter in the mausoleum…!? And why did she write the note like this? It’s not even answering her concerns or anything, it’s just… an invitation to some forbidden tryst! What is the meaning of this!? Edelgard doesn’t understand… it can literally be for any reason that she is being invited to a midnight tryst! Rhea could be using this as an opportunity to further intimidate her, or it could be a lascivious solicitation. It could be literally anything, and Edelgard has no idea what to expect…!

Besides, would it actually help her feel better about her situation? The imperial princess can’t imagine a threat or a seduction attempt would help her feel better about her dealings with Those Who Slither In The Dark, not that… err, not that she has any reason to believe Rhea has found out about her partnership with Thales and the others. Just… ugh, this has to be some kind of trick! Or taunt! There’s no way the archbishop has any kind of wholesome reason for writing a response like this!

Despite that… there’s still a part of her that urges the princess to make the visit regardless. It’s not just curiosity, but just… maybe it’s just because a part of her kind of misses the time before she’s seen the vision, when Rhea was simply just an uneasy object of affection in her mind, one she is forced to fight. It was easier when that was all she thought of her, easier when Rhea did things like sing to her and tend to her injuries. As unsettling as all of that was, it was just… really nice, and Edelgard kind of really wants to return to that. Maybe if she visits tonight, that’s exactly what she’ll get.

Maybe it’s just wishful thinking, but it won’t hurt to try, right?

Right. Maybe, if she visits tonight, she’ll be sung to again, and she’ll be feeling… really nice again.

\---

Well, against her better judgment, here she is, heading up the stairs to the third floor of the monastery, hoping to visit Rhea in the dead of night. Edelgard can barely contain just how anxious she is about this meeting, and it certainly doesn’t help that the distracting hallucinations and the aching in her body are acting up in accordance with her turbulent emotions. If she had never seen the visions and had that encounter with the archbishop in the mausoleum that day, she would have simply been excited to see the archbishop at night like this, but now…

No use standing around being anxious about it. It’s now or never. Stepping up to the archbishop’s chamber door, Edelgard swallows hard, and knocks on the door, twice, and says, “It’s… it’s me.”

“Please, come in.”

Aah, that voice… That’s a voice Edelgard has missed hearing speaking in such a soft and gentle tone. Just hearing it has quickly melted away her anxieties, and quieted the noises. Goddess, the effect simply hearing Rhea’s voice has on her… she really is head over heels for her, isn’t she? Gahh, what a mess…

Nervous, but no longer anxious, Edelgard enters the archbishop’s chamber, and closes the door behind her. Rhea… she’s sitting at her bed, dressed in a far less ostentatious outfit than her usual one, with her hair simply as is, without any of the ornaments. Her simply being in her sleepwear, it almost reminds Edelgard of the time she saw her in the sauna. Without any piece of garment that speaks to her position as the archbishop.

“I am pleased to see that you are visiting me of your own volition despite everything that has transpired between us, Edelgard.” Rhea speaks softly, just as the time she nursed the princess back to health and sang to her. It’s in the same level of comfort that her voice is spoken in. “I was afraid that I had gone too far, and kept you from ever wanting to speak with me in private again. I am relieved to see that that is not the case.”

Approaching slowly and keeping her eyes glued on Rhea, Edelgard asks, her heart and voice still filled with uncertainty and worry concerning Rhea’s true intentions, “I… I still do not understand though, Lady Rhea. Why do you… why do you wish to see me, even after discovering me in an attempted theft of the Crest stones, of sacred objects to the Church? And why… through the advice box?”

“I do not doubt that you have many unanswered questions upon your mind, that I hope to answer through a story for you tonight.” A story? How curious… Edelgard hopes this won’t simply be another round of preaching about the teachings of Seiros or whatever lies the Church has fabricated over the generations. Rhea pats the spot next to her in bed, and says, “But first, why don’t you have a sit and get comfortable with me, Edelgard?”

“Is that… is that really appropriate, Lady Rhea…?” Oh gosh, there she goes again, doing this thing, while she’s about to lecture her about… whatever. This is kind of weird, and Edelgard’s blushing already. But, um, maybe she should just. Go for it. Build some familiarity and lower her guard. Smooth things out so that hopefully the Immaculate One is less hostile towards her. So, well, she does just that, seating herself nervously and saying, “Well, I suppose I have no reason to decline. Excuse me then…”

“Now, tell me Edelgard, do you know what Crest stones are?”

“I… They are what power Heroes’ Relics so they can be used as weapons, are they not?”

“On the most basic level, indeed, that is how they are used. But what they actually are is a tale I have made great efforts to conceal. Tell me, Edelgard, what do you know of the tale of Seiros?” Oh dear. This is extremely nerve-wracking. Should she… should she really be honest about what she actually knows? Rhea has already shown her the vision wherein she fought as the Immaculate One, so she should know already, right…? “Be truthful with me, Edelgard.”

“It is… it is to my understanding that… that you are Seiros, the Immaculate One who usurped previous institutions of governance and power, instead installing in its place the Church of Seiros and the Adrestian Empire in order to control the continent of Fódlan.” That was… extremely difficult to openly talk about. Lest with Rhea, of all people, but if she already knows… then there really is no reason to keep that as a secret, is there? But still, it didn’t… feel good saying it. Part of it feels like treachery, part of it feels like she’s being punished for being a bad child. “That is the understanding of the Church of Seiros I have uncovered through… that was revealed to me. B-By apostates.”

“Hmm, and you simply decided to believe them? How disappointing, Edelgard.” Oh no, now it REALLY feels like she’s being reprimanded for being a bad child. Ugh, this feels extremely unpleasant, but being so close to Rhea… there really isn’t anywhere else she can flee or look away to. So uncomfortable. “While it is true that I am indeed Seiros, the Immaculate One, the truth of the actions I have taken is… obfuscated even from those who believe they know the truth of the matter. It is the result of how much of history I have personally revised with the aid of your earliest ancestor, Wilhelm I von Hresvelg.”

“The truth is that… the goddess does indeed exist. She is Sothis, the progenitor of the Nabateans, hailing from a world far away. It is through her blood, that her children were created, and it is through her benevolence, that Fódlan was given its first advanced civilization, Agartha. Naturally, as the nature of humanity is arrogance and savagery, the Agarthans turned away from Sothis’s benevolence in their thirst for power, and eventually turned their blades against her. The battles that ensued were bloody, and left her weakened, forcing her to take refuge within Zanado to recover from her injuries, remaining dormant for a thousand years.

“As she rested, I took upon the mantle of leadership, and began fighting back against the Agarthans in the name of Mother. Those Who Slither In The Dark… they are the descendants of the very traitors who led the bandit Nemesis to breach the Holy Tomb and murder my dear Mother in cold blood. That is when Nemesis drank of Sothis’s blood and acquired her power in the form of the Crest of Flames, and used her bones to create what is now known as the Sword of the Creator. Then, leading his band of savages, they slaughtered the Nabateans at Zanado, once again partaking in their blood and flesh like… like the wild beasts they are. It is… it is why Zanado came to be known as the Red Canyon, as it was where my Mother and brethrens were all murdered in cold blood.”

As she listened to Rhea tell her tale, Edelgard can slowly feel sorrow and guilt envelop her entire body, in the form of a sudden chill that no amount of warmth could protect her from. There is… there is always the chance that Rhea is simply using a fabrication to manipulate her away from her goal, but somehow, the princess… doesn’t feel like that is the case. The anger, the hatred, the… sadness in Rhea’s voice, it all feels too real to have been an act.

“Then the… You mean, Crests are simply the presence of draconic blood, and the Relics are…?”

“Indeed. And the Crest stones… they are the hearts of fallen Nabateans, their source of power and vitality. It is for this reason that their power can only be wielded by those who bear Nabatean blood.” Edelgard has never seen Rhea express so much emotion before, and it… it frightens her. “And the Ten Elites… they were Nemesis’s subordinates who supported him as he crowned himself king, whose descendants will build noble houses of their own, upon the bodies of Nabateans they have butchered.

“Edelgard… you can not possibly fathom the deep-seated sorrow and hatred this massacre has endowed the survivors with. Even today, Macuil and myself still… still loathe the descendants of the Agarthans for what has transpired. It is for this reason that, for the sake of our own survival, we were forced to take drastic measures. We can not simply allow Mother’s creations to be met with annihilation.

“As Nemesis and Those Who Slither In The Dark controlled so much of Fódlan, I needed an army of my own. For this reason, I bestowed upon your ancestor Wilhelm a taste of my own blood, granting him, and you by extension, the Crest of Seiros, and aided him in the establishment of the Adrestian Empire, so long as he aids me in the creation and absolute authority of the Church of Seiros. And, with his army, with Cichol, Cethleann, Indech, Macuil… at the Battle of Tailtean Plain, I finally got vengeance for my dear Mother, and recovered the pieces of her body from him. Ever since then, I have held onto them as the archbishop of the Church of Seiros, the new dispenser of revised history… until your Professor was born.”

“My… my Professor? Do you mean Byleth?”

“Indeed. Upon her birth, I attached Sothis’s heart to her own, bestowing upon her the Crest of Flames in a manner no other humans have ever had the privilege. The Sword of Creator… the blade crafted from my Mother’s spine… I always meant to bestow upon her that as well. It is my hope that in due time, she will become the new vessel for my Mother’s reincarnation into this world.”

“...”

At this point, Edelgard is speechless, unable to even find what could possibly be appropriate to say in this situation. There is so much to make sense of, she wouldn’t know where to start, even the bit about Byleth being a vessel for Sothis… What about the Crest of Flames she bears now? How could Those Who Slither In The Dark have forced it upon her? Actually, Edelgard thinks she would rather not know. But, to think, she… she bears the blood of Rhea’s Mother in some way…

“Edelgard, you bear the Crest of Flames as well, do you not? One that was forcibly implanted upon your body?”

“H-huh-!?” How did she know that-!? Edelgard was certain she had concealed it well! But then again, if Rhea… if Rhea has already seen the future, it is possible that she has seen other things as well. Oh, how bothersome… it almost feels invasive how much she knows even without having to ask. “I-I… I do. I do not know how it was done, as Nemesis never left behind any descendants, and Byleth’s… come from Sothis’s heart…” 

“I see. Regardless of how you acquired it, it means you have a very direct connection to my Mother, the progenitor god, one who watches over Fódlan and controls its fate and flow of time.” Flow of time…? That’s a power Edelgard was not aware that the goddess has. But, the connection to Sothis, and by extension, to Rhea, is… an uncomfortable thought. “A very direct connection to me, her eldest daughter, even if we are not counting the fact that my blood flows in your veins as the Crest of Seiros. Do you understand where I am taking this?”

Slowly, Edelgard nods. 

“I am glad. Us Nabateans are extraordinarily long-lived, practically immortal unless slain, reproduction does not come easily to us. As there are very few Nabateans left in the world today, it would be extremely sorrowful if our own kin betrays us in favour of the Agarthans who had slaughtered our own.” Aah, she’s really going there, prodding at Edelgard’s guilty conscience in hopes of keeping her from becoming a kinslayer… “I still do not know how we can ever easily recover our numbers, but I simply hope that the Church will remain as protection for us until Sothis is ready to grace us with her return, and restore Nabatea to its former glory…”

“I… I’m sorry, Lady Rhea. I was… I was not aware of the full story.” The Crest stones being hearts… it makes sense now they would be kept in a mausoleum. Or at least, the would be, if the archbishop had not removed them in anticipation of Edelgard’s attempted theft. Now she feels really… low, for ever wanting to try that. “I’m sorry I ever tried to steal the Crest stones.”

“It is okay, my child, I forgive you. You were acting in ignorance of the truth, after all.” Finally, a smile from Rhea, to ease up the melancholy of the previous conversation. It’s… refreshing, to say the least. “I simply wish that now that you know the full, unadulterated truth, that you will act in wisdom, instead of folly, and pursue justice, instead of treachery. You are an exceptional young woman with virtuous ideals, after all. You have such a long future ahead of you, so much potential good you can bring to the world of Fódlan..."

"Lady Rhea…” Oh dear, she’s putting her hands on Edelgard’s shoulder, and bringing her in close, oh no. This is really intimate and it’s making her cheeks flushed red. But in this moment, the princess just feels really… small. And delicate. A young princess like her, standing up to such a heavy history, opposing a woman who has shown her nothing but kindness and forgiveness… Before she knows it, Edelgard’s found herself with her head resting upon Rhea’s lap. “...Lady Rhea…”

“Oh, Edelgard…”

Once again, Edelgard finds herself in an intimate and loving position, as Rhea softly caresses her and strokes her hair, treating her to the physical affection she has so long been denied. She was already tired before, as she had to make herself stay up until midnight for this meeting, so now, as she’s receiving gentle care from such a maternal figure once again, she gratefully receives it. The over-familiarity with which Rhea treats her is no longer a source of discomfort, but rather a source of love that Edelgard has longed for…

...At this point, how can she even think of siding with the Nabatean’s enemies against Rhea, against Flayn and Seteth…?

_In time’s flow…_  
_See the glow, of flames ever burning bright…_  
_On a swift…_  
_River’s drift, broken memories alight…_


	8. Daughter's Reprieve

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Edelgard finds herself distressed by the events at Remire Village, and seeks comfort.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Now, I know that that Paralogue happens the month after this, but I wanted it to better fit into the narrative of this AU, so...

The mission to Remire Village, it was… stressful, to say the least. Not only did she have to face someone who’s supposed to be her ally in combat, Solon and Death Knight both, Edelgard was also forced to witness the same kind of madness that gripped many of her siblings before they died. The tragedy that fell upon House Hresvelg is still fresh in her mind, and now seeing such a visceral reminder of it, just… 

...Well, this is the first time in months Edelgard has been hit with a stress seizure.

Not long after returning from the mission, as Edelgard heads up the stairs to seek Rhea in her chambers once again for comfort, she is suddenly hit with a paralyzing spasm of pain, causing her to collapse in the corridor of floor three. As her entire body is engulfed in agonizing pain, the feeling akin to each and every part of her, inside and out, being wrung and twisted apart, the princess finds herself struggling to breathe. Each and every breath an ordeal, it becomes impossible not to cough and choke almost every moment.

It’s such terrifying pain, such intense mental anguish for the princess, that even though she has been through this before, she gets such a dire certainty in her mind that she is going to die. Even her heartbeat has become irregular. It simply wouldn’t end either, it never ends quickly, as Edelgard struggles to pull herself along towards the archbishop’s chamber, ultimately giving up as she’s in far too much pain to even see clearly where she’s crawling. Instead, she’s simply sprawled out on the floor, locked in the iron maiden that is her own body, unable to even cry for help.

It just… it just wouldn’t end. She can’t even begin to guess how long it has been, but the sunlight cast upon the floor near the window at the end of the hallway has shifted. This entire time, no one has noticed her here, locked in agony and unable to cry for help. Edelgard supposes, this is just her punishment for… for seeking out Rhea for comfort, in a part of the monastery where no student is normally allowed to go…

“...Edelgard? Oh, oh no…”

That… that sounds like Rhea. Edelgard can’t actually turn her head to see, but she supposes this can only mean that the archbishop is returning to her chambers after performing whatever duties she had. Or perhaps she sought out the princess out of concern for her. ...No, she highly doubts that’s what it was. But, what a pathetic state to be seen in by her…

Suddenly, Edelgard feels herself slowly being pulled up into a more sitting position, the archbishop kneeling on the floor and embracing her from behind. The transition itself doesn’t help ease the pain besieging her senses, but once her head is upon Rhea’s bosom, and her body enveloped by her warmth, Edelgard can slowly… slowly feel the anguish starting to subside. Curious… she has never known that there was anything that could relieve her stress seizures, but, being held by Rhea like this, hearing her soft, delicate “there, there”s, it must just… it must just be enough to calm her nerves…

“L-lady… Lady Rhea…?” Edelgard finally manages to speak, the pain remaining within her mostly being just numb stinging pains in her extremities, and her heartbeat and breathing mostly restabilized to a steadier rate. Even her vision has slowly unblurred. “Wh… what are you doing here…?”

“I was worried about you, my child. You have been missing for an hour and a half now. Everyone was looking for you, you know.” Although her words sound reprimanding, Rhea’s tone is full of nothing but motherly concern for the princess. It’s… a tone of voice Edelgard feels like she has not heard since a part of her past she no longer has access to. “It’s going to be okay now Edelgard, I’m going to carry you to my chambers to rest. You need it after such an ordeal.”

“Rhea…”

Exhausted and weak, Edelgard doesn’t protest nor say anything as she’s picked up and carried by the archbishop, as if she’s a needy infant, and laid down in Rhea’s very own bed. This feels far too intimate, being in her bed like this, resting her head upon the pillow she has no doubt Rhea lays her head upon every night. But, just having recovered from a seizure, she is in no position to say anything about it anyways.

As Rhea sits down on the floor beside the bed so she could be eye-level with the princess resting in her bed, she gazes upon her with eyes full of concern. After a moment of the two remaining silent, she finally speaks, “Edelgard, I… I had not known that you are afflicted with seizures. For how long have you suffered from this condition?”

Oh, this is a rather uncomfortable topic. Edelgard has… never enjoyed talking about her physical ailments like this, and with someone like the archbishop too, it just feels so overly… meh, whatever. Her head turned to Rhea, she answers her, “I have… I have suffered seizures ever since I was… ever since I was experimented upon, and given a second Crest. After speaking with Lysithea about the matter, I feel like I have to conclude that… that ailments such as this is simply a side effect of the stresses bearing a second Crest has on the human body.”

“So, it is true that Lysithea bears a second Crest as well…” Oh oops. Edelgard kind of wasn’t supposed to mention that. Uh… oh well, Rhea probably would have figured it out on her own anyways. Yeah, that’s how Edelgard is going to excuse that blunder. “That is distressing knowledge to discover, however. It seems like the very nature of the blood of Nabateans is woefully incompatible with that of humans’, perhaps why it has such unintended side effects…”

The biological aspects of Crests is not what is currently on Edelgard’s mind, however. Rather, it is the fact that she even had a second Crest forced upon her body to begin with, the single traumatic event that made her rethink the role of Crests in society. It is the reason why she wants to change the world, after all, so she may undo the blood caste that governs Fódlan, and instead replace it with meritocracy, the measure of one’s worth by one’s deeds, rather than one’s blood. A truly fair society in which even the low and downtrodden may be lifted up by the merits of their deeds…

And yet, now, with how things have developed, Edelgard fears that that may never come to pass. After all, undoing the blood caste puts her directly in the way of the Church of Seiros, directly in the way of… of the remaining Nabateans in this world. And it is utterly a demoralizing thought to her, that if she should achieve her dreams, she would be forced to betray those who were already once betrayed. Unless…

Edelgard begins again, her voice breaking the silence that has filled the room, “Lady Rhea… I am curious, why is it that you have turned Crests into a measure of one’s birth in Fódlan? I would think that after what has transpired with the Ten Elites, that you would come to loathe the descendants of those ten. So, in lifting them up to belong in the higher echelons of society… it’s a decision I’m not sure I quite understand.”

“...”

Rhea is quiet for a moment, as she ponders upon how best to explain her thought process to the princess. Then, she speaks, “I understand that the decisions I have taken seem in opposition to the truth of what has transpired, but you have to understand that it was a highly political move to secure the stability of Fódlan. As the descendants of the Ten Elites still maintain the blood of Nabateans flowing through their veins, and the Relics in their possession, they wield formidable power, power enough to threaten even the Immaculate One. If they are not placed in positions of power, positions of wherein they are constantly in the spotlight and monitored by the Church, they will grow uneasy with their stolen talents forgotten, and sought to acquire that position by force. So, in deeming them nobles by the virtue of the Crest they bear, they are rendered complacent and compliant with the Church, the institution that legitimizes their authority.”

That… is indeed a very shrewd political move on the part of the archbishop. The imperial princess feels like she can learn a thing or two herself from such practices, but even so, it also feels like a… dishonest political move that led to all the problems associated with the Crest caste that exists today. But how could she approach bringing the topic up with the archbishop? 

“I see. I understand why you would take such drastic measures, as putting haughty nobles in titular positions is a good strategy of keeping them preoccupied with matters that are less significant. Blinding them to the greater picture, so to say.” It is fortunate Edelgard has studied so much intrigue during her time as the imperial princess, that she’s able to easily make sense of what the archbishop has told her. Nevertheless… “I do applaud the measures you have taken to secure the survival of Nabatea, but… is there no other way of doing so?”

“Do you hold in your heart doubt about my course of action?”

“It’s… it’s not like that, Lady Rhea.” Edelgard really should be more careful about her choice of words should she not give away her… well, what used to be her revolution. She just doesn’t want to hurt her relations with her, now that… well, now that Rhea has found a way to help soothe not just her hallucinations, but also her seizures as well. “I… the reason I am ladened with so much trauma and health issues is because of the experiments that were conducted on me. For the sake of… of Crests. It is the reason why I… why I wonder how differently my life would have transpired, should Crests have never been regarded so highly as a necessity to the nobility, and to achieving greater strengths.”

“Indeed, that is certainly true…” Oh, the sorrow in Rhea’s voice… well, at least Edelgard found a way to communicate her dream without rousing her distrust. It is comforting to know, at least. “Nevertheless, should the descendants of the Ten Elites disappear into the masses, it could prove to be dangerous, as it would be far more difficult to identify who the enemies of the Church. It is a difficult to find a middleground to preserve the survival of Nabatea and to provide sanctity to those who suffer from it.”

It is… comforting, to hear that despite her position, Rhea is still open to the idea of amending the caste system in place for the sake of Edelgard. Whether or not anything would come of it, she does not hold high hopes for it, but wishful thinking is still nice. It makes the princess feel in that moment that she and the archbishop may in fact have their goals aligned. 

“Even still, I… I feel like it is a necessity to prevent anymore unnecessary tragedy, like the ones Lysithea and myself have suffered through. Perhaps…” Maybe, maybe in planning the uprooting of the hierarchy, Edelgard can come up with a new solution that would work in the interest of the archbishop as well. “Perhaps, we can further do what you have done, in even further narrowing the scope of Crest-bearers, so that they will be no more than figureheads, rather than individuals wielding legitimate authority?”

“That is certainly a possibility, yes.” Oh, Rhea doesn’t seem entirely convinced yet… oh well, it was just an idea anyways. One that could use a lot more polishing later on as Edelgard further considers what kind of emperor she wants to become, if not one that sheds blood in order to unify the continent and uproot the Church of Seiros. “But if we are to prevent such traumatic events such as the one you have endured, would it not be better for now to eradicate the direct source of that sorrow, Those Who Slither In The Dark? After all, it was by their hand that Remire Village suffered such a terrible fate, is it not?”

“That… that is correct, yes.”

“I do agree that there is much in society that could very much use reforming, but as of right now, we face many enemies who will definitely undermine and undo any kind of positive societal change we seek to make. It is for that reason, that we must be more unified than ever in our actions, and avoid taking any actions that would destabilize a united front against the encroaching darkness. Perhaps, we may even seek to unify Fódlan under the Adrestian Empire against a common enemy through the blessings of the Church, under a single banner? It would provide the much-needed strength we need to forever rid the world of the Agarthans…” 

“Uniting under the Adrestian Empire, through the Church of Seiros…? Just like how it was, a thousand years ago…”

“Just as it was, a thousand years ago…”

Rhea… really is frighteningly adept at manipulating the imperial princess, taking her thoughts and emotions and molding them as though they were her own, rendering her will until hers. Having been talked through like that, Edelgard can hardly even raise any sort of objections nor alternatives to what the archbishop has suggested. Even her own schemes with Hubert with the revolution seem so… petty now. 

At least… at least mentioning, or at least hinting at her own dream, has gotten no negative reaction out of Rhea. But, Edelgard could swear, she’s far too good at this. No matter what, Rhea almost seems to be able to render her weak and pliable, shaping her however way she wishes, removing her self-sufficiency until she becomes dependent on her. It’s… it’s actually kind of frightening, but also kind of enticing all at once.

After all, being the imperial princess, Edelgard has far too long been burdened with such an impossible amount of responsibilities for a girl her age. The thought of simply being relieved of the responsibilities of choice and will unto an older and far wiser woman like Rhea… it almost seems like a utopian dream beckoning for her to step into it, and forever remain there. 

\---

Once again, another clandestine meeting with Hubert outside the bounds of the monastery. For once, they are not here to discuss their future plans, but rather what has transpired that displeases them both. Indeed, the disobedience of Solon and the Death Knight weighs heavily on their minds, as the incident in Remire Village served as a reminder that they have no real control over Those Who Slither In The Dark.

“Lady Edelgard. We still have yet to receive any responses from Solon himself, but I have kept in contact with Thales. He seems insistent on allowing Solon to continue to do as he pleases.” Hubert reports, bowing as he always does, a solemn expression on his face. For once, Edelgard finds his presence not suffocating, as they actually share similar worries. “Have you received any updates from that girl Kronya?”

“No, I have yet to have an opportunity to meet with her in private. Although…” Edelgard sighs. Despite the time she was able to spend with Rhea destressing, the matter with Those Who Slither In The Dark continues to be a major source of stress for her. She’s not keen on revealing much information with Hubert, considering how much he hides from her anyways, but she supposes this is adjacent enough to their common goal, and distant enough from her personal business, that it would not hurt to share. “I feel like recently, Kronya has been… hiding more information from me. Our meetings have become sparse and few in between, and she has been sharing less and less with me. I fear that we are rapidly losing control over those with whom we have allied.”

“I fear that may be the case as well, Lady Edelgard. It may be wise to soon begin planning our next move against them, before this fragile alliance sees itself broken.” How pragmatic, Hubert, although Edelgard doesn’t actually trust him to hold himself to that. After all, despite being so devoted to her, he keeps lots of his own secrets from her all the time, something that has always made her very uneasy. “If you would authorize me, I will begin our preparations, and continue to keep in contact with Thales. Someone needs to keep tabs on his activities, after all.”

Authorize… that wording feels suspicious. That smile on Hubert’s face does not put Edelgard at ease either. She is almost certain that he has other plans in mind that he would not tell her no matter how much she demanded it, yet there is little she can do about that. Just like Those Who Slither In The Dark, Hubert is just… another ally over whom she is losing her control. No matter, no matter what she says, she knows Hubert will do as he pleases regardless. “Very well, I permit you to begin your preparations against Those Who Slither In The Dark. I expect frequent reports on your progress.”

“Of course, Lady Edelgard. All I do, I do for your sake.” Argh, there he goes again with that. Edelgard has never liked it when he said things like that, but he’s always so insistent on it, it’s a little disturbing. “Oh, and one more thing. As we strengthen our relations with Count Bergliez, we gain better access to our vassal levies within the empire. But at the moment, only Metodey is at our disposal, how should we position his forces in preparation for our attacks on the monastery?”

Oh, right, that… That’s something that’s far from the princess’s mind at this point, something she doesn’t even want to think about doing. And yet… both Hubert and Metodey have been planning and waiting for this for a while, the both of them even having rallied enough troops to make it happen whenever they receive the order to. At this point, she can’t even call them off even if she wanted to, and if she did, they would probably find it suspicious…

Ah, oh dear, this isn’t good. Hubert must have noticed the concern showing on Edelgard’s face. She quickly recomposes herself and speaks again, although there is no doubt in her mind that her servant has already picked up on her indecision, “Remain at a distance for now. The Knights of Seiros have been more actively lately in search of the enemies of the Church ever since the incident at Remire Village, we can not risk our troop movements detected before we can have a chance to stage our invasion.”

“Are you certain, Lady Edelgard? With the Captain of the Knights dispatched on a mission elsewhere, this would be an opportune time to assault the monastery, as the most talented of their numbers are absent.” Hubert must have detected that the imperial princess is simply stalling for time at this point, as he gets a rather uncomfortable look in his eyes, that Edelgard is unable to decipher. Just what is she to do about him…?

“I am certain. Even with Jeralt away, the currently stationed Knights will prove more than a competent adversary. We have to strike when they least expect it, and are least prepared to erect a defense.” There we go, Edelgard’s getting the usual certainty and conviction back into her voice, something she hopes will finally convince Hubert to stall for a while longer.

“...Very well, Lady Edelgard. We shall hold off for now.” That… response does not endow Edelgard with confidence. And that look on his face…

“If there is nothing else, then this meeting is adjourned for now. Report back to me in a week or two on your progress.”

“Of course, Lady Edelgard. All for the glory of the Adrestian Empire.”

That meeting… did not leave a good taste in Edelgard’s mouth. The way Hubert talks to her now, the way he carries himself, the tone of his voice… She has always considered him a useful ally, even if he makes her uneasy with the way he keeps information from her, but never until now did she start to fear him. Just what does he plan to do behind her back…? 

Edelgard’s really starting to lose it, isn’t she? She really needs some time away from… from Hubert, from everything that has to do with the invasion of the monastery and her revolution. At least… at least this month is the White Heron Cup and the ball, perhaps that is something that will help take her mind off of all of this.

\---

Well, either way, Edelgard had that meeting with Kronya in the library just now, and it went just as unproductively as she would have expected. That girl… she continues to remain vague or completely silent on Solon’s and Thales’s agenda, saying nothing about their coming plans except for something with Crest stones, as if that wasn’t obvious enough. Just… what did she hope to gain from allies such as these? Why did she even bother? How stressful…

Just as the princess is about to leave the library, she runs into Lysithea. Thankfully not literally, at least, or she fears she would have knocked the poor girl over. Giving her double-Crest-mate a smile, she greets her, “Hello Lysithea, are you here to study again?”

“Yes, but of course. Oh! But while I’m here, there was something I wanted to talk to you about, if you have the time.” Oh? Edelgard wonders what that could be. Lysithea doesn’t usually bring things up like this herself, it’s usually Edelgard the one who approaches her about certain topics. “It’s… well, it’s about our Crests.”

“Oh? What about our Crests?”

“Well, it’s…” Lysithea quickly looks around to make sure there is no one at the library right now. Understandable, considering how confidential this topic is to the both of them. “Ever since Linhardt and Professor Hanneman have found out, they’ve taken such an annoying interest in my two Crests. I thought that it was just going to be ceaseless harassment, but they… well, together they’ve actually brought up the possibility of removing my second Crest to extend my lifespan…”

“...Is that a fact?” This shocks Edelgard to hear. Of course, she has long known that Linhardt and Hanneman have been bothering Lysithea about her Crests, as it’s something Lysithea often vents to her about, but to hear that they actually are thinking of her health… it’s news to her.

“Well, at least they believe it can be done. I don’t really have high hopes for it actually happening, but…” Lysithea sighs, crossing her arms and furrowing her brows. Only relaxing a bit when Edelgard gives her a reassuring smile and a pat on the shoulder. “...Edelgard, if you could get one of your Crests removed, would you? Not that your second Crest shortens your lifespan like mine does, but I know that it does… um, have other health effects on you.”

“That is certainly true.” Right, there are the seizures. But Edelgard still can’t really tell if they’re a result of her schizophrenia, and if her schizophrenia is a result of the traumatic experience or from the second Crest. She doubts it’s the latter. But even if removing her second Crest can improve her health… well, ever since learning about the Crest of Flames and the Minor Crest of Seiros, she’s not really sure she wants them removed even so. After all, they are what binds her to… to Rhea, and to Sothis…

“I don’t think I would, however.” Naturally, Edelgard can’t actually tell Lysithea any of that, but she at least does know how to spin it some other way to make it seem like she’s just as sympathetic to Lysithea, and is only bearing her second Crest out of obligation. “As much as it would free me from my… conditions, I believe it will be a necessary evil I must bear as the heir to the Adrestian Empire. Considering what has befell my father as he tried to enact his reforms, I need all the power I can get to set things right.”

“That’s true, you are the imperial princess…” Oh, oops. That just seems to have worried Lysithea even more. Edelgard can’t blame her though, to the younger girl, the bearing of a second Crest is nothing but a curse to her. It was forced upon her as an experiment, and it’s a weight she’ll carry unto her death. Naturally she would see Edelgard’s condition the same way. “Still, do you think I should… that I should ask Linhardt and Hanneman to proceed with the research? I would really rather not waste time with it if in the end, it doesn’t work and I still die an early death.”

“Don’t be so pessimistic about it now, Lysithea. I understand why it may seem like a scary prospect, but if it does work, doesn’t it mean that you’ll be able to live for more than twice as long as you thought you were able to?” Oh, naturally, it always falls to Edelgard to reassure and comfort Lysithea like this, when she’s feeling gloomy about her own life. She really is like her big sister in that way. “Besides, you want to experience as much of life as you can with the time that you have left, don’t you? Wouldn’t participating in a Crest research that can directly change your life be a valuable experience to have as well?”

“I suppose you are right about that… Maybe I’ll think about it sometimes. Can we talk about something else now?” Well, you are kind of the one who brought up this topic to begin with, but Edelgard supposes that’s fine. She wouldn’t want to stress Lysithea out before she even got to start studying after all. “I don’t like thinking about Linhardt and Professor Hanneman a lot. They can be such a pain.”

“Oh, I understand you well. I’ve had to deal with them quite a few times myself.” Edelgard has plenty of say herself when it comes to ranting about the two weirdos at the Officer’s Academy, but she’ll spare Lysithea the tedium of having to listen to her talk about it. After all, that’s not what her little sister is here for today, so instead, she’s going to talk about something a lot more lighthearted. “Well anyways, Lysithea, the White Heron Cup is coming up soon. Do you know who in the Golden Deer house is going to be participating?”

“Oh, the dancing competition? Of course that’s going to be Hilda. She practically begged to be entered into the competition, you know that? What a showoff.” Hm, that’s right, Lysithea isn’t really as into the whole dancing thing, but at least it’s a refreshing change of topic. Something different to gossip about. Although, looking at the way Lysithea blushes when she talks about Hilda… it’s kinda cute. “...I guess, I guess it would be nice to have the same kind of confidence about that kind of thing as her, but geez. Do you know who’s entering in your house, Edelgard?”

Hehe, how cute. It’s always such a delight talking to Lysithea, Edelgard really oughta remind herself to do it more often. Although, thinking about her question now… she actually realizes she has no idea. She hasn’t really been keeping up with it. “Hmm, I don’t actually know, now that I think about it. I should probably ask my professor about that sometimes, I know she has been scouting out talent in the Black Eagle house, but I haven’t heard much about it since then.”

“You should definitely find that out then, you are the house leader after all!” Oh, you’re right Lysithea, you’re right. That is definitely something Edelgard should have been keeping tabs on, but has been slacking on, due to all the stuff with her seizure and the deal with Hubert and Kronya. “I wonder who it’s going to be. I know Ferdinand is definitely confident in his abilities as a noble, but I personally would be more interested in seeing Dorothea dance.”

“You and me both, she is quite a beauty to behold, isn’t she?” Oh oops, was that a bit too much? No? No, it’s not too much, both of them are in agreement about that statement anyways. Either way, Edelgard fears she may have kept Lysithea for a bit too long now. “Either way, I should give you peace to do your studying, I shouldn’t keep you. We will talk another time.”

“Yes, of course. I’ll talk to you later, Edelgard.”

Hmm, the White Heron Cup… that’s right. As Edelgard leaves Lysithea alone to do her studying, she finds herself curious too, about who is going to be doing the dancing from her house. It’s such a silly little distraction, but it’s exactly the kind of distraction she needs right now. She might as well seek out Byleth and find out who their dancer is going to be.

\---

Just as she’s on her way to look for her professor though, the imperial princess is suddenly assailed by a projectile. She’s fortunate that the projectile is a wooden sword, and made quite a noise as it flew in her direction, giving her ample time to Warp, disappearing just as the projectile would make contact with her, and reappearing in the same spot after it had thumped into the wall behind her. Ready to draw her blade to fend off whatever assassin is coming for her, Edelgard turns in the direction from whence the wooden sword flew, only to find an amused Catherine.

“What was that for!? You could have injured me.” Thoroughly unamused, and frankly rather angry at this… stunt? Prank? Whatever it is, Edelgard puts her dagger away. Just what is this about!? Even if she’s envious of her relationship with Rhea, that’s no way to approach her! “Explain yourself, Catherine.”

“Hey, calm down, I knew you’d dodge it in time. I just didn’t think you’d dodge it with magic like that.” What’s that supposed to mean!? Ugh, looks like Catherine’s just determined to get on Edelgard’s nerves today, isn’t she!? “I gotta say though Edelgard, that was pretty impressive, I’ve never seen anyone use Warp so creatively before. Good reflexes!”

“Are you going to explain yourself, or are you simply here to instigate something?”

“Hey hey, come on, chill. I’m just here to talk.” At least the knight is no longer laughing to herself, but she still has a very particular grin across her face that Edelgard is not entirely fond of. It speaks of mischief, beyond simply throwing wooden swords at students’ heads. “You know Edelgard, you’re pretty good. Maybe not as good as your professor, but that’s not exactly a fair comparison anyways. And that’s not exactly why Lady Rhea has taken an interest in you, anyways.”

Huh? Oh geez, about the archbishop again…? Edelgard’s not exactly fond of talking about the subject with Catherine, of all people, but she supposes at least there’s no one else around right now. She guesses Catherine must have purposely chosen this place and time to bring something like this up. Or maybe she just got lucky. Maybe it’s the latter, Edelgard can’t imagine Catherine being that crafty.

“Look, I’ve been watching you, Edelgard,” oh dear, Edelgard doesn’t like that. Immediately her mind goes to her meetings with Hubert, and with Those Who Slither In The Dark, and that journey into the mausoleum. ...Well, then again, if the knight suspects treachery from her, she probably would have cut her down already, so maybe she’s still in the clear. “And I’m pretty sure I know now why Lady Rhea has been treating you like that. Heh, in the beginning I thought it was your skill or your position as the princess, but no, what’s REALLY happening between the two of you is a love affair, isn’t it?”

...Ah!?

“A-a… a love affair!? That is an absurd accusation!”

“Oh no, I know I’ve hit the bullseye on this one, you can’t fool me, Edelgard.” Argh, this is so uncomfortable, there is no way the princess can keep her cheeks unflushed when someone like Catherine has… has found out about what’s been going on…! “I’ve noticed you sneaking upstairs to Lady Rhea’s bedroom when no students are technically permitted up there. I’ve seen the way Lady Rhea looks at you. I’ve seen the way you get so flustered and fidgety around her. So just own up, Edelgard. You’re in an affair with the archbishop, are you not?”

“Th-that’s… “ Oh, what can Edelgard even say in this situation!? This is possibly the first time she’s even… considered that what she has with the archbishop is any kind of relationship! The way Catherine is looming over her and staring down at her certainly doesn’t help either, it’s so… intimidating. And being intimidated is not something the imperial princess usually is! “Can it even be called an ‘affair’ if neither of us are in any other kind of relationships!?”

“Aha, I knew it! That explains a lot.” Upon getting the confirmation she wanted, Catherine relaxes. Just a bit. She still seems really intimidating. And then… kind of upset. “...But why? Where did this even come from? You didn’t make any moves on Lady Rhea, did you?”

“I would not even dare to imagine doing such a thing.” At least seeing Catherine showing the more vulnerable emotion of confusion and denial makes it easier for Edelgard to feel in control of the conversation. “You know, that is something I too wonder myself. Before she took me in to personally treat my injuries that day, I would have never even considered the possibility of having any such relations with the archbishop.”

“She… she took you in and treated your wounds, huh?” Oh, oh dear. Did Edelgard say something wrong? Catherine actually looks… kind of disheartened now. This was not the intended goal. “Just like… You know what, Edelgard? Let me tell you a story. When I was around your age, I was here at the Officer’s Academy too. On a mission, I got severely injured, and you know what Lady Rhea did? She picked me up, not minding that I was caked in mud and blood, and treated my injuries personally. Even though I was simply a student. And you know what? It’s because of that, that I started fully devoting myself to her, fighting for her, and loving her, every single day of my life.”

Edelgard… doesn’t like where this is going. She’s getting really uncomfortable.

“Ever since then, Lady Rhea has never stopped being anything but kind and compassionate for me. It’s why when I… when I was in a time of need, I came to her. And she took me back into the fold. That’s why I’ll never stop fighting for her, because she never stopped showing me the love I needed in my life. So… so why has this changed? Ever since you and that professor showed up at the academy, it’s like… it’s like I just stopped being visible to her! Why is she giving you special treatment now!? What about me?”

Before the both of them know it, Catherine is yelling, her face only inches from Edelgard’s. And Edelgard is scared, shrinking back, her eyes wide and her heart racing. Not only is this… so much to learn about Catherine at once, but it also endows the princess with such a strong and unexpected sense of guilt, as if she has bereft someone of family. But… but how could she have known? There was… she had no control over the things that happened…

Catherine must have noticed the fear and sorrow in Edelgard’s eyes, and pulls back, realizing in shame now that she’s just been yelling at someone who was just roped into this whole thing. Shaking her head, she says with a frown, “I… I’m sorry. I know you couldn’t have known. I just… miss. Miss the intimate moments I used to share with her. What even changed…? Don’t tell me she just likes ‘em younger, and I’m getting too old for her tastes?”

“Don’t… don’t say it like that. I’m certain that is all but true.” And also because that was a really uncomfortable thought. Edelgard would prefer to believe that Rhea is interested in her for more than just her youth. Not that Catherine is even that old. She’s only like, what, 10 years older than her? “I… I don’t have an answer that could satisfy either of our needs to know. But I genuinely do not believe that Lady Rhea has simply lost interest in you.”

“But what could it be then…? I don’t understand…” Although this exchange began with Catherine being intimidating and daunting to look at, now she just seems crestfallen and vulnerable, and honestly kind of pitiful. Looks like this is just something weighing on her heart that she really needed to unload, and there was no one better for that than Edelgard. “I don’t believe I have outlived my usefulness either, I couldn’t have. What am I doing wrong…?”

“Catherine…” Edelgard takes a gamble and places a hand on Catherine’s shoulder, and it looks like that paid off, since Catherine did not seem upset with this gesture. ...Hm, this must be the first time she is making physical contact with the knight. “Listen, Catherine, do not lose faith. I believe there is more we simply do not yet understand, and… and I will do what I can to uncover what that may be. For your sake. I… I am sure Lady Rhea would not be opposed to explaining to me.”

“Can you… You can really do that for me?” Catherine takes a moment to recompose herself, realizing how pathetic she must seem in the moment. She takes a deep breath and sighs, and puts on the best smile she can. “Then… yeah, do that. I’d really appreciate it, Edelgard. And… ah, geez, I’m such a mess. I’m sorry for losing myself like that, that was honestly kind of pathetic of me. I mean come on, yelling at a kid over a… sighs.”

“It’s okay Catherine, I forgive you. I am… I am just as clueless about this as you are, after all.” Aah, what a strange turn of events, that would bring the princess to sympathize with the holy knight like this… She wonders for a moment if she really does, or if she’s just become really sick of seeing Catherine acting like this. “I promise, I will let you know if I find out anything. So as long as you don’t throw anymore swords my way or yell in my face about your frustrations with Lady Rhea.”

“Yeah, yeah I can do that. Maybe not the throwing swords part, but yeah. Sorry for… for yelling at you like that.” Well, Catherine looks mostly composed now. At least she was able to vent, but Edelgard would really appreciate a warning next time. She was so afraid when she was yelling that she might get eaten or something. “I just… I’m going to go cool off a bit at the training grounds.”

“Of course. You take care of yourself.”

Although that encounter largely resulted in Edelgard… comforting a woman 10 years older than her, it does still leave her with the same questions that troubles Catherine so much. If this isn’t the first time Rhea has done something like this for a student then… just what makes Edelgard so special? 

It can’t just be ‘love’, can it?

\---

At least, after that kind of emotionally draining encounter, it didn’t take long for Edelgard to spot Byleth, heading towards the Entrance Hall. Catching up to her professor, and not really wanting to stop her in her tracks just in case she’s doing something important, Edelgard decides to simply walk and talk. “Hello Professor, do you have a moment?”

“Of course, is there something on your mind, Edelgard?” Indeed, Byleth isn’t slowing down, which indicates to Edelgard that she must indeed have somewhere to be right now. ...Or at least she would hope so, she can’t really tell with her professor sometimes.

“It is nothing important, I was simply wondering about the upcoming White Heron Cup.” ...That blank look on her professor’s face, has she seriously not heard of it yet? Surely, there’s no way she doesn’t know about it still? Or maybe it’s her usual blank expression that makes her look so oblivious when she might not be? No matter, she’ll just get right to the point, rather than wasting time explaining what it is. “I uh… I was wondering if you have chosen someone from the Black Eagle house to participate yet?”

“Oh, that. I do in fact, I’ve been looking f-”

“Brother, please wait!”

Edelgard and Byleth both stop as they both take note of a particular pair of siblings on their way to leave the monastery. Or at least, one of them trying to follow while the other seems awfully adamant against it.

“For the last time Flayn, the answer is no.”

“You are departing for the Rhodos Coast, are you not? I must come!”

“You will do no such thing. I am not going there to pay respects at the cemetery, but to do battle. With you there, I will be beside myself with worry. It will be easier for me to fight if I know you are safe.”

“But… I must!”

So that’s what’s going on, eh? Seteth embarking on a mission, and Flayn wanting to follow… Edelgard and Byleth give each other a knowing look, before approaching the pair to hopefully offer some solution they might be satisfied with.

Immediately upon seeing her favourite classmate and professor, Flayn’s face lights up in a way that makes Edelgard’s heart skip a beat, and she exclaims, “Ah! Edelgard, Professor! You have come at just the right time. I would like to make a small request. My dear brother is about to set forth on a most dangerous mission.”

“A mission, you say?” Byleth does that thing she always does where she crosses her arms and tilts her head in curiosity. It’s such a particular motion that everyone has gotten so used to, that Edelgard feels like she can probably mimic her if she tried.

“Indeed. The Western Church is attempting to seize sacred ground by force. With this action, they are no longer merely believers of a different creed. They are a dangerous threat that cannot be ignored.” Hmm, is that so? That kind of piques Edelgard’s curiosity, in all honesty. She had made use of the Western Church before, but she had not considered them a heretical faith before. She supposes it would make sense, however. “We cannot allow the holy artifacts enshrined there to fall into their hands.”

“I too wish to be of use to the church! And I do admit I am terribly worried about my brother. But no matter my protests, he will not allow me to come.” You know, sometimes Edelgard wonders how much practice the father-daughter pair must have had to have to get so used to referring to each other as siblings. And… isn’t that kind of awkward sometimes? It must be, Edelgard can’t imagine having to refer to her father as ‘brother’. “Edelgard, Professor, this is where you can help. Will you accompany us both on this expedition?”

“Naturally.” Edelgard speaks up, interjecting before Byleth can ask whatever she was about to ask with that concerned expression on her face. This is an opportunity to spend time with Flayn and Seteth, and she will not have her professor preventing it from happening! “It would be dangerous for Seteth to embark upon a mission alone, I see no reason we should not accompany you and provide support in battle. Is that not right, Professor?”

“Huh? But why me?” Oh Byleth, come on! Don’t be dense! Or at least, not as dense as you usually are! Can’t you see, this is such a good opportunity to bond with Flayn and Seteth!? Asides from all that time you spend eating with them, that is. “I was just coming to ask about the White Heron Cup…”

“Ah, but Professor! I vow that I shall represent the Black Eagle house in the White Heron Cup should you come with us just this once. If you are there to protect me, my brother’s fears will be allayed. Isn’t that right, brother?” Well said, Flayn! But, that does answer Edelgard’s question though, it seems like Byleth was going to ask Flayn to be their dancer from the start.

“I suppose your aid would indeed be useful, yes.” 

“I knew it! Please, Edelgard, Professor, will the both of you join us?”

“Of course we shall.” Edelgard speaks up once again, not giving Byleth an opportunity to slip away from this. They are going to have an outing together, and her professor is going to enjoy it, whether she wants to or not! The imperial princess is not letting up a chance to spend time with Flayn! “Come now, Professor! Let us rally some of our classmates, and be on our way!”

In the end, Byleth can only sigh and nod, reluctantly agreeing to joining in. Yesss, Edelgard did it. Now she gets to spend time with not just Flayn and Seteth, but Byleth too! Oh, what a ripe opportunity for bonding. This is exciting!

\---

The battle at Rhodos Coast… It wasn't anything near difficult. They couldn't bring along as many classmates as Edelgard would have liked, seeing as how the beach is such an unfavourable terrain for the likes of Caspar and Ferdinand, the latter of who was disappointed he missed out on an opportunity to prove his superiority to Edelgard. But for the imperial princess herself, the sandy terrain was no trouble for her, as she flew through the skies on wyvernback with Seteth and Flayn both. Well for Flayn it was pegasusback, but this being the first time Edelgard got to fight alongside Seteth and Flayn, the three of them swooping from the skies and taking out heretics, it was wildly satisfying. 

And of course, there is the irony of the members of the Western Church accusing Seteth and Flayn of heretics, as they fight in the interest of Saint Cichol and Saint Cethleann. Byleth remains oblivious to this irony, as she fights on the ground below, taking out enemies from afar with a bow, but Edelgard can only imagine how the two saints must feel about all this. Even if the truth was revealed to the Western Church, they likely wouldn't so readily accept it anyways, seeing their saints side with the Central Church. So all they can do for these poor heretics is to put them down. 

As soon as the fight is over, which did not take long to conclude, Seteth, Flayn, Byleth, and Edelgard stops at the monument to check for any collateral damage that may have occurred during the struggle, while the rest of the class spends the time away on the beaches cleaning up the fight. Pretty quickly, Edelgard can tell that it’s not actually a real monument, as much as it is simply a grave, disguised to look like a monument. But to whom could it belong, that it would be framed as a holy site?

Upon ensuring the integrity of the gravesite and retrieving… something, from it, Seteth turns to Edelgard and Byleth, and says with a bow, “Your assistance is most appreciated. I can only hope that the Western Church will now see reason and abandon this place. But, just to be safe, I have retrieved the holy artifacts. We cannot risk them falling into their hands. I will entrust them to you.”

“I… I am honoured, Seteth.” Oh, these are… these are the Spear of Assal and the Caduceus Staff! Edelgard recognizes them immediately as the arms Saint Cichol and Saint Cethleann are always shown wielding in battle. Aha, so that’s why… These must be precious to the two, and likely the reason they are coveted for religious purposes. Intriguing, holy weapons that are not relics. The princess supposes that would make sense, seeing as living saints would not use their own bones to craft their arms. “Cichol, Cethleann…” 

Her muttering pretty quickly draws a reaction from the teal-haired pair, which quickly makes Edelgard realize she should probably be more careful with their names around… other people. And just, in general. It would make for a pretty awkward scene should they know that she knows, so quickly, Edelgard adds, to cover her tracks, “These were the holy weapons wielded by the two saints in the times of old, are they not?”

“Indeed they are, Edelgard.” Ceth-... err, Flayn responds, a bit more relaxed now with the addendum, and a bit more pleased, as Edelgard would imagine a saint to feel upon finding out that someone is quite studied with that particular saint. “I’m impressed you recognized them. Despite the statues of the four saints erect in the cathedral, not everyone can so easily identify them with ease.”

“I suppose you are right about that.” Phew, what a save. At least she should hope so, Edelgard can’t help but notice the concern in Seteth’s eyes, even if he has relaxed as well. Handing the holy artifacts off to her professor instead, Edelgard says, “Professor, I believe you are best suited to look after them for the time being.”

“Oh, naturally. I will look after them just as I do the Sword of the Creator.” Oh Byleth, always so stalwart when it comes to safekeeping everyone’s relics and things. After all, everyone knows there is nowhere safer to store things than Professor Byleth’s mysterious convoy. Turning to Seteth, she says, “You have nothing to worry about as long as these two holy artifacts are with me, I shall look after them well.”

“Thank you, Professor. Your efforts are most appreciated.” Well, now that all that business is said and done, Seteth looks a lot calmer. No, not just calmer, Edelgard can also detect… serenity in his demeanour, as he looks out towards the ocean. “I must confess, despite the situation, it was a pleasure to return here. This coast has a certain sentimental significance to my sister and me.”

“Sentimental significance?” Byleth asks, doing the thing where she crosses her arms and puts a hand to her chin, her curiosity shared by Edelgard as well. While the truth of the saints have been revealed to Edelgard, she must confess she rather knows little about their more personal affairs, such as this site of Rhodos Coast.

“Yes. This stone monument is not merely here to commemorate Saint Cichol, it is also the grave of my wife.” Aha, there it is. Edelgard thought it looked awfully a lot like… you know, a grave. She supposes it would make sense that Seteth would render the grave of his wife into a holy monument, so proper respects would be paid to her in the worship of Saint Cichol. It’s… kind of endearing, to be honest.

The same air of serenity that encompasses Seteth right now is also shared by Flayn, as she lays a bundle of forget-me-nots before the grave. That’s right, those are her favourite flowers… “You are safe now, Mother. Finally, you may find peace.”

“Your mother is also buried here?” Oh, Professor Byleth, don’t ask silly questions like that! Isn’t it obvious by now!? ...Or, maybe Edelgard guesses it isn’t, if her professor is asking questions like that. Then again, Byleth HAS always been kind of an airhead, it’s a wonder she’s a professor at all.

With a sigh, and a quick check to make sure that all the other students are still cleaning up on the beach and well out of earshot, Seteth says, “I suppose you have earned the right to know. But this must remain between us. Flayn is actually my daughter. My late wife and her mother are the same person.”

“I… I had no idea.”

“Really? I must confess, it is something I have been suspecting for a while.” Edelgard gives her professor a look. Geez, so oblivious. But then again, that is part of her charm, being the busty airhead that she is. “Not just the parent-child resemblance between you two, but also your behaviour towards her…”

“And here, I thought we had hidden it skillfully.” Hehe, flustered Seteth. It’s not really your fault though, Edelgard just knows way more than she is supposed to, the hard part is pretending that she doesn’t. “There are many who would harm Flayn due to the unique blood she bears.” Like Edelgard herself. “Falsifying her identity is necessary to conceal her from such individuals.” Like Edelgard herself. “Mercifully, I happen to look quite young for my age. We make rather convincing siblings, do we not?”

“That is true enough.” Byleth responds, and despite Edelgard’s words earlier, she has to agree, nodding as well. The only reason she would disagree is because she knows the truth of it all.

“Mother loved the coast so much. She and I came here together often. Fishing was her favourite pastime. I used to sit and watch while she cast her line. Fish is my favourite food, it is true. Due in no small part to Mother.” Awww, that’s cute. That would explain why Flayn would always describe things she likes using the ocean or using fish and other silly analogies like that. Childhood memories! 

“I still come here to fish, from time to time, using the skills my wife taught me. It reminds me how deeply I appreciate those years… and how I wish I could return to them.” Aw, Seteth. Now, Edelgard is left wondering what kind of a woman his wife must have been… was she a Nabatean as well, or was she actually a human? So many questions, that would be inappropriate to ask…! 

“We cannot turn back the clock, Father. We must live our lives fully, in the present moment.”

“You’re right. That is what she always said, isn’t it? Dwell too much on the past, and you may become unable to move forward.”

“Nevertheless, it would not hurt to cherish those memories.” Edelgard adds with a smile on her face, and although she suggests that, those words, ‘unable to move forward’, keeps remaining in her mind. “When we have free time, would it not be a good idea to return here to fish together? Both as a celebration of the memories of your late wife, and as a celebration of the new life you have built at the monastery, with the Knights of Seiros, with the students at the Officer’s Academy.”

“Oh, that sounds like a lovely idea!” Hehe, it’s always nice seeing Flayn so excited. She’s so cute when she smiles, it always makes Edelgard’s heart skip a beat, like it does when she suffers from a seizure, except this time it feels good instead of bad. “It would be lots of fun to fish together with Edelgard and the Professor, wouldn’t you say, Father? It too would provide us with quite the feast of fish!”

“Heheh, oh Flayn, but the Professor and the house leader are both very busy individuals, we mustn’t keep them from their duties if we can help it.” Aww, that response from Seteth has earned himself a pout from his daughter.

“I am sure we can make time. I do love to do some fishing myself, I feel that it would likely be more fun with you.” Byleth says with a smile, seeming a bit more animated than before, now that she gets to express an interest like that. Heh, and to think, Edelgard heard gossip from the Golden Deer house that her Professor doesn’t have a hobby. She’s pretty sure Byleth just doesn’t know what that word means. “Perhaps I can even ask my old man to teach me some more fishing tricks in preparation for our next outing? He has always quite the talent for it, I believe there is much he can teach me as soon as he returns from his mission.”

“Ah, but of course, the Blade Breaker is indeed quite the renowned fisher, it’s true. I suppose I would not mind if he joins us as well.” Aww, Edelgard was kind of hoping that it would just be the four of them. Oh well, it would at least be a chance for her to get to know Byleth’s weird father outside of his reputation. He is quite a weird man after all. “It would be a rather fun outing, would it not be?”

Aah, a pleasant chat, a few kindred laughs, and once again the four are brought a sense of serenity by the breeze and the gentle rolling of the seas. Seteth as Flayn’s father, Byleth as Edelgard’s mentor… the princess had to admit, ever since the events that had transpired in her childhood and her early teenage years, she never would have thought that she would ever again feel the love of a family. But this, with Seteth, with Flayn, and with Byleth, it almost… 

...it almost feels as if she has found a new family.

Almost instinctively, to the calm rolling of the waves, Edelgard begins to sing softly.

_In time’s flow…_  
 _See the glow, of flames ever burning bright…_  
 _On a swift_  
 _River’s drift, broken memories alight…_

...Ah, oops. Edelgard didn’t even realize she began doing that. That’s… certainly to earn a surprised look from Seteth and Flayn… And well, Byleth too, but that’s mostly just because she has never heard of the song before.

“Edelgard, where have you heard the song before?” Ever inquisitive, that Seteth… Oh, Edelgard has no doubt this is something he is going to question Rhea about. Ahh, what a blunder… she really got too comfortable, didn’t she?

“Oh, I… I’ve simply heard it before somewhere.” That answer was too vague, wasn’t it? It seems so, it doesn’t seem to have satisfied Seteth’s curiosity. Nor did it did Flayn’s either, for that matter, although she seems more playfully intrigued than her father. But there is absolutely no way Edelgard can simply admit Rhea sang it to her, especially not in front of Byleth! That would be awkward! “From… from somewhere, although unfortunately, I cannot recall where.”

“I am sure you did, Edelgard.” Flaaayn, stop giving her that look… ah geez, now Byleth is getting curious about what inside stuff she is missing out. It’s unfortunate that Edelgard would never be able to just, tell her. No, Seteth would probably get real mad at her for that. But goodness, it looks like Flayn already knows the answer to that. “It is a lovely song, is it not? It is one of those precious things that brings back memories of a lovelier past. Would you not permit Edelgard and I to hum along? Just this once?”

“I… I suppose that is fine.”

Oh Seteth, you’re being so overprotective again, it’s going to be fine! Even Byleth is giving you a reassuring smile and a pat on the shoulder, as Edelgard and Flayn hum the tune of the song together happily, watching the ocean waters.

Aah, the Rhodos Coast… it truly is a beautiful place. A holy place, Edelgard shall always remember as being a home to her new found family...


	9. Found Family

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Things are picking up pace, as the pieces fall into place. Jeralt's death, Edelgard's coronation... Pegasus Moon looms on the horizon.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I finally finished this chapter, took me long enough. I wrote most of this chapter a few weeks ago, before real life got in the way and prevented me from finishing this until now. I hope I will stay strong and see this story through to the end, as I am as eager to witness the unfolding events as you are.
> 
> I was originally going to include a sex scene in this chapter ngl, but thinking about it more, I decided against it, since I didn't feel like it fits in quite as well as the other details. Don't worry though, a sex scene is going to happen... eventually. And it will be plot-significant.
> 
> Just two more chapters to go...

Jeralt has been killed.

The news came as a shock to everyone, that the captain of the Knights of Seiros could be killed. Stabbed from behind by Monica, or as Edelgard really knows her, or so she thought, Kronya. It’s… it’s such a sobering moment for the imperial princess, as she fast realizes that those who she once thought allies are no longer in line with her interests. The last meeting she’s had with Thales and Kronya was so… cold too. The only thing that hid the Flame Emperor’s burning wrath fueled by betrayal was the mask and the voice changer. 

Perhaps though, the one hit hardest by what has happened is Byleth, for rather obvious reasons. Edelgard has never really seen her professor with her father very often, so she has no idea what their relationship must have been like when he was still alive, but she can imagine the grief that her beloved professor must be facing right now. It’s why she ended up spending around a week comforting and looking after Byleth, being there for her when she wept, washing and drying the rags she blew her nose into, reminding her to keep herself fed even when she was too depressed to. It’s… perhaps the first time Edelgard has felt the role of a caregiver, looking after and loving her professor the same way Rhea must have when she tended to her injuries those two times.

Aah, Rhea… Edelgard has spent so much time over the last week looking after Byleth that she realizes she has yet to actually speak to the archbishop after what had happened. She… genuinely has no idea what her relationship with Jeralt was like, but they must have been somewhat close, if he was the captain of the Knights. She means, even Catherine is close to Rhea, and she isn’t even the captain, so. Not that that’s how knighthood works, but you know. Whatever the case may be, the princess realizes she should really pay the archbishop a visit as well, as she has been fairly gloomy as of late as well, undoubtedly shattered over the loss of Jeralt.

As Edelgard heads towards the stairwell that leads to the third floor, where the archbishop’s personal chamber lies, she finds her path blocked by Seteth, a solemn look upon his face. With his arms crossed, he embodies a far more intimidating demeanour than he usually does, but it doesn’t scare Edelgard. No, rather, she easily perceives this as a display of vulnerability from someone she considers close to her.

“Visiting Rhea again, I presume?” Seteth says in an icy tone, his stony face and unwavering eyes not an unbreakable shield for the sadness and concern underneath. Edelgard has no doubt that this would be enough to frighten off any students, but not her. “I believe it would be wise of you to leave the archbishop alone for now. She has not requested to see anyone.”

“Seteth, please,” Edelgard says, looking up at him with an equally solemn gaze, her voice heavy with a motherly concern she has learned from the one she is going to be looking after, “let me see her. Lad-... Rhea. I… I, hm. I admit I don’t actually know much about… about her relationship to Jeralt while he still breathed, but I have no doubt they must have been close. And unlike the professor, I don’t believe any other students or faculty have taken the time to check up on her. So please, let me see her.”

“Edelgard…” Seteth sighs, his intense glare wilting to a forlorn frown Edelgard has never seen on his face before. Stepping aside and looking away, as if trying to hide his moment of weakness still, despite her having already seen through it, he says quietly, “Very well. I don’t believe I… I have what it takes to comfort her in times like these. But she likes you differently, so… please do what you can to look after Rhea, I beg of you.”

“I won’t disappoint, Seteth.” Placing a hand upon his shoulder in an act of reassurance and getting a surprised look upon his face, as he turns to look at her once again, Edelgard gives him a small smile, and says, “She is just as family to me as you are, after all.”

“Edelgard… Thank you.”

With Seteth’s approval, she heads upstairs, up to Rhea’s bedchambers. The doors are closed, as they usually are anyways. But this time, behind those doors, Edelgard can feel a heaviness that permeates the chamber. Lightly knocking on the door twice and letting Rhea know she’s there, Edelgard enters without waiting for a response, and closes the door behind her. 

Rhea… Edelgard has never seen her in a more vulnerable state before. The usually-majestic and somewhat imposing archbishop completely lacks any of the usual air of authority she carries about her, instead simply being draped in a white gown without any kind of hair accessories, as she sits upon her bed and looks out the window. Even when Edelgard entered, she didn’t bother turning to look at her.

“Rhea…” Edelgard calls out in a soft voice, as she slowly approaches, still feeling really awkward about addressing the archbishop by simply her name, without any sort of honourifics. It just doesn’t feel appropriate at the moment to anyways, especially when she really is just Rhea right now. Taking a seat upon her bed beside her, she says in a gentle tone, “He really was an exceptional man, wasn’t he? The Captain of the Knights of Seiros, the Blade Breaker, Byleth’s father…”

“...and the man who saved my life.” Rhea says with a sigh, her voice indicative of how much she has wept over the last few days. It makes Edelgard feel sorry she didn’t come see her earlier, until now. “It’s how we met, Jeralt and I. We were accosted while traveling upon the road, and he was mortally injured in trying to defend me from our assailants. It was so long ago, but it is something I will never forget. After all, that was the first time we had met, and the reason he was requested to lead my most elite retinues.”

All of this comes as news to Edelgard, as Jeralt has always kept his identity and his past extremely secretive, that not even Byleth knows basic information like how old he is. She doesn’t interrupt though, she figured that Rhea must have been wanting to talk about this for the entire week now, so she simply listens.

“He was… I knew that he never felt about me the same way I felt about him, but I nevertheless held him close to me. So close, that I… I even bestowed upon him a taste of my blood, enough for him to acquire the Major Crest of Seiros, just so he may live again.” He has… he had the Major Crest of Seiros? Edelgard is… rather surprised at how well he has been keeping that a secret from everyone, that there are not even rumours about such a thing. And honestly, it kind of… makes Edelgard envious? It probably is not the appropriate reaction right now, but… she wishes she could partake in Rhea’s blood too.

“He has been alive for over a hundred and twenty years because of my blood, did you know that?” Rhea finally turns to face Edelgard, a sad smile upon her face as she recalls must have been a century of beautiful memories. Over a hundred… now Edelgard is even more curious about how Jeralt must have kept THAT a secret. He really is an enigma… “In fact, every human I have ever blessed with my blood has enjoyed exceptional longevity and nigh immortality. Including your earliest ancestor, Wilhelm. He would have lived for hundreds of years had he not been cut down in combat.”

“I… I had never known.” Edelgard finally speaks, feeling like it is finally appropriate to do so, now that the conversation has moved away from Jeralt and to… well, indirectly to her, she supposes. It does raise so many questions about her own Minor Crest of Seiros though. “I… I don’t imagine my father and I enjoy the same longevity our ancestor must have. Although, even if he does, I don’t believe I would be able to tell, with how much stress has aged him…”

“No, unfortunately you do not.” Rhea answers plainly, looking down at her lap, “My Crest… dilutes very quickly through inheritance, and its Minor variant does not grant nearly the same level of longevity, unfortunately. Although, I don’t imagine that that longevity is a curse I would ever want to place upon you. After all, every man I have… I have given my blood to have died a violent death…”

Aw, oh dear, oh geez, Rhea’s mind is back on Jeralt. Edelgard gently places a hand upon her back and rubs comfortingly, letting her know that she is there for her. This is… a level of intimacy and care she never imagined she would share with the archbishop, and it is almost enough to make her jump with excitement, if it wouldn’t be so inappropriate in this moment to do so. After all, she is comforting a grieving Rhea.

“Or perhaps it is just a curse I bear myself? My immortality and my duty which binds me to my Mother means I must live and endure every heartache I have ever faced for loving a mortal being.” Edelgard can… hardly even imagine what that must be like. For once, she is realizing how much heavier of a burden Rhea must bear than she does, being a Nabatean who has seen so much more than the princess might ever. “And every time I try to render permanent one who is important enough to me to deserve sharing with me the burden I bear, they… they are taken away from me…”

Once again, Rhea weeps, her words broken down into small sobs and a voice too shaky to continue speaking, as she leans into Edelgard’s embrace. Edelgard genuinely never thought she might see someone as… as powerful and intimidating as Rhea, weeping like this, but witnessing it very quickly puts her into even stronger of a caregiver mindset, as she softly strokes her hair and says in a gentle voice, “There, there, Rhea…” 

As Rhea continues to grieve, Edelgard finds her slumping more and more into her embrace, until she has the older woman’s head resting in her lap, sniffling into her red tights. Aah, she never thought she would see their roles reversed like this, but everyone, even Rhea, must have their moments of vulnerability. While she has never really known how to comfort someone grieving, Edelgard recalls the times when Rhea treated her injuries and looked after her, and the things she has done to make her feel at ease. If she wants any chance of helping her calm down, then perhaps, there’s but one thing to do: reciprocate.

Stroking Rhea’s hair and gently caressing her with her hand upon her hips, Edelgard begins to hum, hum the song that has oft been hummed to her, and fairly quickly she can see Rhea starting to calm down. It’s true… this song, wherever it is from, must bear such significance to her, that even just hearing Edelgard humming its tune would bring comfort to her as a lullaby would. Although she is certain she is not the best singer, Edelgard begins to sing the song, her voice not particularly the best for it, but nevertheless enough to fill the room with a sense of serenity and ease, one that slowly nourishes Rhea’s being and dries her tears. The song that has placated Edelgard’s hallucinations and nightmares so many times in the past, has now calmed Rhea enough to simply cuddle with Edelgard quietly.

Despite this small victory for now, the uncertainty and grief caused by what has happened still lingers over the two. Edelgard is aware that simply being able to help Rhea calm does not resolve her problems; the existential dread that must have hung over her for thousands of years, as she contend with the plights of immortality. But one small step is one small step. Even if Edelgard can’t ever help resolve it, she finds it in herself bound by duty and love to help Rhea through regardless.

\---

Back out in the monastery and the academy, the atmosphere is just as heavy as it was in Byleth’s and Rhea’s rooms. Even if most students didn’t have personal connections to Jeralt, nor any connections for that matter, beyond just reputation, all of them felt the loss of the Captain of the Knights of Seiros, and their professor’s father. As Edelgard interacts with her classmates, both within the Black Eagles house and in the other two houses, she can feel varying degrees of grief and anger from her peers. It’s… a stark reminder of how much the professor and her family means to everyone.

And Dimitri too… conversing with him during this time is a little intimidating. The princess has already known that he harbors deep-seated anger and hatred, although to what she does not actually know, but with the incident with Jeralt, the look on his face… even Felix commented on someone needing to “rein in the boar”. Should he ever discover Edelgard’s connections to Jeralt’s murderer… she shudders to think what Dimitri might become, what he might do.

But really, that applies to like… everyone. Edelgard no longer shares Hubert’s unwavering desire to run down the Church of Seiros, nor does she have anymore desire to work with Those Who Slither In The Dark, but her hands are already stained with blood from the work she has done in alliance with those individuals. The revolt of Lord Lonato, the pillaging of Seiros’s tomb, the kidnapping of Flayn, the incident at Remire Village, and now the death of Jeralt… even if Edelgard herself was not directly nor even remotely responsible for several of those events, the fact of the matter is that her hands are soiled by association. And should anyone at the monastery or academy find out, she is almost certain that they would come to loathe her for it.

As she walks through the monastery, troubled by thoughts such as these, she is pleasantly surprised to find her professor up and about, still visibly depressed and gloomy, but at least out of her room. Edelgard approaches Byleth with a careful smile, and says, “It is good to see you up and about, Professor.”

“Thank you, Edelgard.” Byleth nods, her expression a lot more dead and lifeless than usual, something that still worries Edelgard to see. She must have really pushed herself to bring herself out of her bedroom… “I hope I can return to the classroom soon. I don’t feel like just… sitting around doing nothing is going to help me feel any better.”

“I understand, Professor. But do be mindful of your own needs, alright?” It’s hard not to be worried about Byleth. Losing a loved one like that is such a traumatic event, Edelgard can scarce begin to imagine what mental anguish and torment her beloved professor must be subject to. “Take it easy if you need to, you shouldn’t push yourself too hard if you are not mentally ready for it yet, you have been through a lot lately.”

“I will keep that in mind, thank you. I just don’t want to let my students down.” Oh Byleth, Byleth… You’re so loveable, but also so self-negligent. You really need to be kinder to yourself… “I want to make sure I can keep being the best that I can be for you and your peers, but… you are right. If I can’t be at my best, I will be sure to take it easy until I can again.”

“Thank you, that is a relief to hear. You are our Professor after all, the last thing we want is for educating us to come at the detriment of your own wellbeing.” Although… admittedly, Edelgard kinda feels bad about this, but she kind of has to ask something of Byleth. It’s just… she’s too concerned about Dimitri, and what could happen should he snap. In a way, it’s for the princess’s own safety, but… “I hate to ask this of you so soon, Professor, but… I was wondering if you could look after Dimitri in the coming weeks for me? I have… I have a lot of concerns about his mental state.”

“I know, Felix told me about it earlier.” Oh, he did? Edelgard supposes that despite Felix’s aloof behaviour, he does care a lot, huh? That is good to hear, at least. “I… I just hope me being around him won’t simply worsen his behaviour.”

“No, I believe you can have a more positive effect on him than you believe, Professor.” Part of why Edelgard is pushing this so hard is because she knows she herself likely can’t help Dimitri the way he needs to be helped, and in fact if it was her, she might even worsen things for him. So she’d rather ask someone who she knows can be a positive influence on the boar prince. “You have been an inspiration to myself and all of your students, Professor. You always set a positive example, and the way you care about your students personally always brings the best out of all of us. Even… err, even ones like Caspar and Linhardt, you’re able to bring out their best. It’s why I believe that if you spend more time with Dimitri this month, you might be a guiding light to bring him out of his own darkness, and to keep everything that has happened lately from tipping him over.”

Byleth goes quiet, and considers what Edelgard has told her. The princess still feels bad for asking so much of her professor after what has happened, but… no matter how much time is spent grieving, things are moving along, and things are happening. If nothing is done about the powder keg, Edelgard foresees things going very badly later this month, or maybe even the next. Or whenever Hubert decides to pull the plug. Which… Edelgard really really hopes he won’t. He’s loyal, after all, he doesn’t do anything the imperial princess doesn’t… okay that’s a lie. He does. And that’s the scary part. And why she’d really prefer to tie up loose ends before he does anything. 

“I’ll have to think about it.” Byleth says, looking down, knowing full well that Edelgard understands her emotional state but also the urgency of keeping the other students under control, lest any of them do anything stupid out of grief and anger. After all, if kids like Caspar get ideas in their head, they might act on dangerous impulses and end up hurting themselves. “I… I should keep productive anyways. I feel like if I just keep staying in and grieving, I’m only going to get more depressed.”

“That’s more like it. I’m glad you’re recognizing what is best for yourself.” Edelgard smiles, feeling guilty about making Byleth do this when she’s still grieving. Maybe she’ll make it up to her by like, taking care of her more frequently this month. If she wanted to at least, she actually has no idea if her professor would want that, but that would at least do something for the sense of guilt that Edelgard’s carrying with her, not just for asking Byleth to do something, but also for being connected to the killer of her father. “And remember, should you ever be in need, I will be here for you, Professor. I will tend to you when you can’t yourself, so please don’t be afraid to ask anything of me.”

“Of course, Edelgard.” Well, that was a nice conversati-... oh wait, Byleth’s not done. It looks like there’s something on her mind that she’s hoping to speak to Edelgard about. She wonders what it could be. “...Say, Edelgard, have you… has Claude told you about anything he read recently?”

“I… I don’t believe so. What is the matter?”

“The other day I… I found my father’s journal in his office. His diary, I mean.” Oh? Jeralt’s diary? Edelgard doesn’t like where this is going… “I won’t disclose the contents of his diary, but… it means a lot to me, to be able to read it, and learn of the things he had intended for me to find out sooner or later, had he not… Either way, it is very dear to me. But, I… I have a sneaking suspicion that Claude has also stolen into the office at some points and read it as well. I thought he was joking when he said he’ll steal it in response to me denying him the diary, but I have a feeling he may have actually read it…”

“Claude…” Oh dear. At first, Edelgard is puzzled as to why he’d want to do something like that, but she’s quickly reminded of Jeralt’s connections to Rhea, something she learned of just the other day. And with how Claude has been investigating secrets of the Church, such as the Immaculate One, it would… of course, it would make sense that he would want to find out more about the secrets of the Church hidden within Jeralt’s diary. Maybe it wasn’t such a good idea to encourage him after all… “We should be more careful about him, Professor. I know that he has always been playfully coy, but I would not be surprised if he’s treading dangerous territory seeking to unearth secrets of the Church of Seiros.”

“Is that what his aim is? I… I suppose it would make sense.” Byleth seems to be piecing something together in her mind that she doesn’t seem to be keen on disclosing with Edelgard. Edelgard doesn’t blame her though, after a breach of trust like that, it makes sense she would be more protective of secrets Jeralt held like that. For all Edelgard knows, Claude may have even read about how Jeralt acquired the Major Crest of Seiros through Rhea. “I will keep that in mind. And I’ll… I’ll keep the diary closer to me at all times. I would really prefer to… not have anyone else delving into my family like that.”

“I understand, Professor, and I’m sorry that something like that has happened.” Oh goodness, Edelgard really hopes Claude won’t get any dangerous ideas about Rhea should he find out anything incriminating about her. He’s already fairly… anti-Church, or at least unfazed by its authority, if he has the right incentive, he could easily turn it into fuel for a fire. The princess used to consider him somewhat of an ally, but now he’s more of a liability… 

Soon after, the conversation dwindled down to little more than small talk, before the two part ways to take care of other duties of their own. However, what was discussed remains on Edelgard’s mind, as she finds herself increasingly troubled by activities in the other two houses. She almost feels as if this is her fault, like she should have been more vigilant in keeping an eye on Dimitri’s and Claude’s activities… and on her own ‘allies’ too, for that matter. There is no telling what next steps Solon and Kronya will take, and whatever they do next, Byleth is sure to follow in pursuit of vengeance. Things could… turn out poorly, should that happen.

\---

Well, at least for once, Edelgard’s stress and worries are not hers alone. All throughout the Officer’s Academy, an atmosphere of fear and anxiety hangs heavily over all the students there. Normally, the average student is pretty excited to not have a week of lectures, instead being able to focus their leisure time on training or recreation, but pretty obviously this is not one of those weeks for the average student. Instead, all around, all Edelgard sees are faces of uncertainty and confusion.

When passing by some of the other students in the Black Eagle house, Edelgard even overheard some students wondering if they will even be able to graduate in two months. It’s… obviously pretty ridiculous to think Kronya would just suddenly appear and have a killing spree on the students or something like that, that would threaten any random student’s life, but… well, at least Edelgard’s not the only one carrying the burden of stress.

But, graduation… that’s right, that IS something that is happening in like, two months, isn’t it? The imperial princess feels like if she… well, if she never got sidetracked from her mission, that she would have already planned for her coming coronation prior to that. After all, she had great ambitions, and… wait, no! No, she still does. That’s right, she still has great ambitions: to topple the corrupt nobility of the Adrestian Empire and to install a more meritocratic system, where only those deserving of high status receive high status. Yes, that is right, she IS still ambitious, she has not grown content, and she doubts she ever will.

Back to the coronation though. It’s… it’s true, Edelgard feels like she has really gotten off-track ever since… well, ever since Rhea began approaching her. And that had she stayed on track, she would have already been planning ahead to the coronation and to the revolution, before the graduation even happened. After all, once she has graduated, she would have missed her golden opportunity to surprise her political opponents and to remove them in one swift move. 

That’s right… Though her goals have changed in regards to the revolution, the imperial princess’s ambitions to remove her political opponents have not changed. Thus, her original plans for an early coronation should not either. The only problem now is, the original plan was formed behind the archbishop’s back, with Hubert having a key part to play in it, and now, with how much Edelgard’s relationship has changed with both Rhea and Hubert, it almost feels like she needs to do the… reverse of what she was originally going to. That’s right, instead of mobilizing Randolph and Ladislava to reinforce Metodey’s forces, Edelgard is going to have to notify them to change their priorities from offense to defense instead. Or, err, at least try to, in Metodey’s case, at least. The princess doubts she can do anything to keep that guy from doing something stupid out of his own bloodlust.

As Edelgard ponders over how she is going to approach Rhea about her plans for an early coronation, she notices Dimitri skulking by on his way to the Blue Lions classroom, looking as… as Dimitri as usual. Wanting to check on whether or not Byleth has taken her suggestion to spending some time with the boar prince in order to rein him in, she calls out to him, “Dimitri! You are looking a mite less wroth.”

“Ah, Edelgard. I, yes, I suppose I am. I’ve… I’ve had a chance to check up on the Professor at a tea party, and it brought me relief to see her fairing better.” Oh, that’s a smile from Dimitri, how nice. It’s nice to see him smile sometimes. Better not tell him that it was Edelgard’s idea that Byleth should spend more time with him. “Still, I know that things are far from over, no matter how much the Professor tries to conceal it. Our enemies still lurk in the shadows, waiting to strike once again, it’s as if there is no end to them…” 

“Dimitri. Slow down, regain control of your emotions.” Edelgard says firmly, not pulling any punches this time. The boar prince is a powder keg who’d go off at any moment and she does not want to be there when that happens.

“Yes, I… I’m sorry. You are right. I just… I just hate feeling so powerless to stop any of this.” The prince frowns, his expression once again softening into a sad frown instead of a hardened scowl. That’s… somewhat better. But Edelgard swears, this boy needs help, and she wouldn’t even know where he could find it. “I wasn’t there when Flayn’s life was in peril, I wasn’t there when Remire Village burned, and when Jeralt was… I just wish I was more capable, that I have the strength necessary to bring our enemies to justice.”

“Well, our graduation is soon upon us in two months. Once you have graduated, you do plan to return to Fhirdiad for your coronation as the King of Faerghus, correct?” Aah, oops, the princess wasn’t trying to take the conversation in that direction, but it seems like she has coronation on the mind. At least it’s not like, the wrong thing to say or anything, in this situation. “As king, you will be able to wield considerable power, power enough to punish our common foes with extreme prejudice. Am I not correct?”

“Two months… two months is too far away. I fear… no, I just know that our enemies will strike again before then. I can almost sense their treachery in the air.” Once again, Dimitri’s face hardens with anger, in a way that worries Edelgard, before he realizes what he’s doing and once again takes a moment to calm himself. Thank goodness. “You will be ascending the throne after your graduation, right Edelgard? You will… I trust that you will be wielding forces at your disposal against these contemptuous foes as well?”

“But of course, Dimitri. I would not be fulfilling my duties as the Adrestian Emperor if I am not rooting out evil and corruption wherever they lurk, within or without my borders.” There is a chance that Hubert may overhear this conversation, but Edelgard doesn’t really care about that. She can just excuse it as ‘blending in’ or whatever dumb excuses she can come up with to placate his suspicions. She doubts he would believe anything she says at this point anyways. “I simply hope that Claude will receptive to joining our little coalition against the enemies of Fódlan as well, so that we will have all corners of the continent covered. Our enemies will have nowhere to run.”

“Yes, you are correct, that would be indeed ideal. Trapped, like the spineless animals they are…” Oh, there’s the anger again, Edelgard’s getting a little uncomfortable. “In the name of Lady Rhea, of Jeralt, of every nameless victim who has fallen to these vile fiends, I will… I will…”

“I understand you well, Dimitri. I am certain you will.” Edelgard quickly interjects, starting to get pretty uncomfortable with whatever violent fantasy the prince has found himself enraptured with, and just with the conversation in general. She doesn’t foresee it going anywhere else at this point, so it’s probably best that she goes literally anywhere else. “There are matters I must attend to as the house leader now, I hope you will have a pleasant day, Dimitri.”

Phew! That’s one way to get out of that. What a troublesome man that Dimitri is, Edelgard can’t help but feel sympathetic for him on some level, but at the same time, his inability to contain his own darkness is rather frightening. Just in general, even if she is not associated with Those Who Slither In The Dark and risk becoming the target of his ire.

But, Dimitri asides, and onto more important business, throughout the conversation with the prince awaiting his coronation, Edelgard has been given more time to think about her own as well. And yes, indeed, she has decided on demanding the abdication of her father soon, so she will be able to dismiss all those nobles who had brought him to heel. It will be such a ripe opportunity for ridding the government of those parasites. And with the archbishop’s blessing at her coronation, even her political opponents would have to accept the legitimacy of her rule.

Yes, that is right. Everything's coming together now, all that is left to do is to actually secure the archbishop’s blessings.

\---

Not wanting to wait for another clandestine meeting at night, especially since Edelgard is pretty sure that it would just quickly dissolve into cuddling and whispering sweet nothings to each other instead of any kind of productive conversation, she heads upstairs to the audience chamber, where she finds the archbishop and Seteth receiving various reports from various monastery personnel. Not wanting to interfere or to interrupt other peoples’ business, Edelgard simply waits at the door for their business with Rhea to conclude. When the archbishop notices her presence, Rhea’s eyes light up, and she gives her a sweet smile, before returning her attention back to more professional dealings.

Once the attendant was dismissed, Rhea gladly turns her attention to Edelgard, saying to Seteth, “Seteth, would you mind giving us a moment please?”

Seteth gives a nod, and begins heading out the room. As he passes by Edelgard though, he pauses briefly, and his usual stony expression turns to a gentle smile, as he whispers to her, “Thank you, Edelgard. I can’t express how happy I am that Rhea is returned to her duties as archbishop, despite everything that has happened.”

Not having expected this, but also really happy that the positive sides to her relationship with Rhea is being acknowledged by her dragon dad of all people. She responds to him with a smile and a nod, before he heads out and closes the door behind him, leaving her to have the privacy she seeks with Rhea.

Now that they are left alone, Edelgard approaches Rhea, and is greeted by the archbishop. “Edelgard, how pleasant it is to see you again. It always brightens my day when we have time alone together like this. What brings you here today?”

Edelgard blushes at Rhea being so generous with her praise, before reminding herself that she’s here to talk about business stuff. Yeah. Important stuff that she shouldn’t be so blushy and flustered about. “There is simply… well, there is something regarding our futures together that I have been thinking about. Not… well, n-not the way that I just made it sound, it’s more… it’s more about politics, I suppose. I was wondering if you could coronate me… well, perhaps next month.”

This certainly doesn’t seem like something the archbishop had anticipated, but she nevertheless seems to have taken an interesting amusement to it. Well, more specifically, there’s kind of an odd look in her eyes that Edelgard can’t really describe nor understand. “Oh? So soon? You have not even graduated from the Officer’s Academy yet, and you are already taking steps towards your future?”

“Yes, that is right. I have… there are certain ambitions I want to see fulfilled, and I do not believe it would be easy to achieve without an early demand of my father’s abdication and my coronation.” Oh the imperial princess suddenly realizes how awkward it is to explain all of this, she’s so used to having explaining all of this to herself in her mind and to the voices who pester her, that she forgot she has been keeping all of this from Rhea. “There are certain corrupt nobles in the Adrestian Empire who have undermined the authority of the emperor, who will continue to sabotage my reign upon my ascension. I have no doubt that should I take the throne after graduation, they will have planned for yet more sabotages of my authority, so I am hoping to become emperor early, and revoke their privileges and power before they can react.”

“Hmm, how an ambitious, yet important, goal.” For some reason, Rhea isn’t… exactly reacting the way Edelgard would have expected. There is something weird about the way she is talking and the look in her eyes, that reminds the princess of the vision she had seen. But at least she isn’t outright rejecting it, so that’s a plus…? “What will you do once you have centralized your authority? What will be on your agenda afterwards?”

“As I have mentioned before, I am hoping to push to a more meritocratic society. I… know that Crest-bearers and the descendants of the Agarthans will continue to pose a threat to the Church, but I do still want to create a society in which one’s worth is judged by their deeds, not the circumstances of their birth.” The princess remembers the last conversation she had with Rhea about Crests ending on kind of an awkward note, that she feels kind of weird being assertive about that now. Hopefully the archbishop won’t take that with offense. As much as she is a loving motherly figure, she IS still a stern authoritative figure whom the imperial princess would not dare rouse the anger of. “It is why I want you to be the one to coronate me, and work alongside with me to ensure that we create the most humane society in the Empire as possible, and continue to monitor anyone who would dare conspire against you.”

“The Church of Seiros and the Adrestian Empire has not been on friendly terms ever since the insurrection a hundred years ago with the Southern Church,” Rhea reminds the imperial princess, making her realize this is probably what she’s so concerned about, “so undoubtedly your move will cause much more of a stir than you might anticipate. Is that a risk you are willing to take in your quest to solidify your rule as the emperor?”

“Yes, yes I am.” Edelgard says, looking down when she starts to realize her plans might not go as she had wanted. In particular, with Rhea, if she is hesitant to be cooperative on this. “I… I understand the risks that come with this, but I… Lady Rhea, I really do want to work with you on this. You’ve come to be such an important figure in my life, I simply can not imagine building a future like the one I envision without… without you by my side.”

Lady Rhea seems surprised to hear that, but Edelgard tries not to think about that, as she continues to avoid eye contact and speak nervously about her true feelings.

“You’re almost like… you’re like a mother figure to me now. Regardless of politics and its intricacies, I… I don’t believe there is anyone who can do for me what you do, every single day. You sing me songs to calm me down enough to sleep, your voice drowns out my… my hallucinations and nightmares, your embrace ceases my seizures and bodily aching. You are… you are not just a lover to me, but a Mother as well. One who brings me solace and… and joy, like no one ever has, one whom I want by my side for as long as I draw breath. It’s why… it’s why I want even our political future to be together, even if it means rejoining Empire and Church, just as how it was when it was first founded.”

For a moment, the two simply remain in silence, as Edelgard’s anxiety and embarrassment quickly saturates her being, just having realized she made perhaps the most passionate confession in the weirdest way possible. Her cheeks flushed the same colour as her tights, she keeps her gaze down, only daring to look up again at her mother for just a moment, just to gauge her reaction. Surprisingly though, she notices Rhea blushing, and as soon as she notices that, all of her anxieties and fears melt away.

The look of surprise on Rhea’s face gives away to a joyous smile, as she sheds a tear and brings Edelgard into a tight embrace, this time being the one to surprise the princess instead. With a quivering voice, she speaks, “Oh Edelgard… you never ceases to surprise me with just how endearing you are. Of course, I will coronate you next month. For all my reservations about the potential risks, you are important to me as well, and I will be nothing but pleased to see you succeed. I promise, you will receive my full political support in your endeavours. We will be just as your ancestor and I once were.”

That was kind of an odd way to put it, but reassuring to the imperial princess nonetheless. Once the embrace ends, she looks up at her Mother with a newfound loving gaze, and a smile that can’t be suppressed. Goodness, Rhea really is her mom now, huh…? That’s such a comforting thought, to one who has been deprived of familial love for so long. Ah, although, that does remind her of something that she should really be bringing up with Rhea.

“That would be really nice, thank you.” Edelgard can hardly think of any other way to express her utter joy with being with Rhea like this, except for being flustered and blushy and all that. “We can focus on planning the details of the trip comes next month, but for now, all I have in mind is that the journey will be clandestine, so that our enemies will not know of our objectives. Travel lightly, but nevertheless safely. I believe Catherine will be most important to our journey, just in case we are met with brigands along the way.”

“Catherine, huh?” Oh, looks like Rhea wasn’t really expecting that bit. Edelgard just figures she’d mention at some point, considering how… what Catherine has said to her has been on her mind. She’d feel bad if she didn’t mention this sooner or later. “I did think of bringing along an escort, but why do you propose specifically Catherine?”

“Oh, it’s just that, well…” Oh oops, this is kinda awkward actually. Edelgard is always so awkward about bringing things up, but it has to be done! “Well, truthfully, I have spoken with her a while ago, and… well, I believe she has become rather… envious. Of me. For having such close relations with you. I believe that you are aware of her affections towards you…?”

“Oh, she still has those feelings for me? I… I had no idea.” Rhea genuinely seems surprised to hear this, to Edelgard’s surprise. Really? She really hasn’t noticed? “I… I knew of her affections when she was still a student, but I thought that afterwards, she had found love with Shamir instead. I was leaving her space out of respect for her relationship with Shamir, just as I did with Jeralt and his… well, that’s besides the point. I simply had no idea she still harboured feelings of affection for me.”

“Yes, and in fact, I feel like they are more than just affection. It’s a really intense devotion that drives her to fight for you every single day, you know that?” Edelgard’s not really sure why she’s trying so hard to wingman someone with whom she’s competing for the archbishop’s attention. Maybe it’s just because she’s confident that she will remain the centre of Rhea’s attention, that she is okay with this. “I can only imagine her frustration with seeing us becoming so close, while her relationship with you remains professional.”

“You are right, it must have been hard for her…” Rhea actually seems kinda sad upon this realization, like a mother who finally realizes how much she has neglected her own child. ...Then again, this might as well be a case of that, since Catherine pretty much sees her the same way Edelgard does. Just, an older crush instead of a newer one. Kind of like an older sister? “Very well, I have decided. I will inform her to meet with me this evening in my chamber. I know it has been a long time since I have shared personal affections with her, but I believe it’s important for me to recultivate the bond I once had with her. Even if… even if I do not believe I could ever love her the same way I love you.”

“Rhea… “ Oops, in that moment of being caught up in the euphoria of hearing such words from her Mother, Edelgard forgets her etiquette. Oh well, not that the archbishop really minds. Not when they’re so close they’re basically family. “That would be ideal. This is… only something I’ve recently begun to realize, but the family we have, even if unrelated by blood, is perhaps the most important community we will ever be a part of. It would be really nice to reconcile relations with Catherine, as a way of strengthening the bonds in our… in our family.”

“Family, huh? It does sound nice.” That’s right, Rhea herself has lost her own Mother as well… as well as basically every other one of her siblings and brethrens, only having the Four Saints left as people who truly know her. Edelgard quickly realizes just how important she is to the archbishop. “You are right, Edelgard. I hope that this experience will help bring the three of us closer, for all of our sakes.”

Aah, what a nice way to conclude a meeting… There is so much to look forward to, that Edelgard can hardly feel the fatigue with which she is usually beset. So much to be happy about, such a bright and joyous destiny awaiting her, much unlike the bloody and solitary one she had originally planned for…

\---

That evening, it is Edelgard’s turn to tail Catherine. After all, as much as she’d love to simply leave Rhea and Catherine alone to reconnect after all these years, part of her remains a bit envious and suspicious. Not of Rhea, no, but of Catherine. Even if the knight is her big sister now, she is still going to be very guarded about her relationship with her mother. That’s right! Rhea belongs to her, and that’s final. So as soon as she notices Catherine heading upstairs for the meeting, the princess is on the prowl.

Naturally, she remains undetected as she sneaks along, not wanting anyone to notice her acting like this out of envy. It’s… a little embarrassing, but Catherine’s probably the only person she sees as legitimate competition for Rhea’s affection. Sure, Byleth’s been in Rhea’s room before too, but she’s Byleth! She can do whatever she wants. J-just in general, not just with Edelgard, Edelgard means.

Either way, as soon as Rhea’s chamber door closes, Edelgard’s right outside, remaining hidden as she eavesdrops on the conversation. Her Mother’s bedroom is… surprisingly soundproof from the outside, she quickly finds, but that’s okay, she doesn’t need to hear every single little detail. She’s just… curious, is all. At least it doesn’t sound like they’re doing anything… unchaste, in there. Just Catherine getting the much-needed attention she’s been lacking in all these years.

Sigh… Edelgard quickly realizes just how pathetic she is being right now. Goodness, it’s not even like she and Rhea are officially together or anything like that, and she’s already being so… weirdly possessive of her, and eavesdropping like this. She really can’t handle a relationship without being weird, can she? Maybe it’s just her life having gone the way it did, she never really learned a chance how to… love, in a normal and healthy manner. It’s no excuse of course, but… she really does kinda wish she’s a bit better about stuff like this. Maybe, given time, she’ll learn, but for now…

No matter, she’s here, she might as well listen in. Part of her is still somewhat curious about Rhea’s relationships with other people, so it’s kind of hard to resist the temptation of being weird. Wanting to hear through the door better, Edelgard presses her ear against it, and listens in.

“I… I didn’t know that you still loved me so much, Lady Rhea. I thought that I had… that I had been left behind, and I was fully ready to accept that I’d only ever be no more than a devotee to you. I’m sorry for… for ever having doubted you, Lady Rhea.”

“You are not to blame, Catherine. I must admit, I still feel guilty for having neglected you out of misunderstanding your situation. I should have maintained better communication with you to understand how you have been feeling this entire time, rather than simply made the assumption that your heart was elsewhere.”

“Oh, no no, please don’t apologize, Lady Rhea, this is nothing on you, I promise. I should have been the one to… uhh, to be better about not beating around the bush. Or… uhh, I guess harassing people I thought were taking you away from me…”

“Hmhm, it’s quite alright, Catherine. I would not blame you for harbouring feelings of envy towards Edelgard for how I have been with her recently. After all, I suppose I can not conceal from you forever the fact that I do indeed… have those kinds of feelings for her. I simply hope that this would not be something that pushes you even farther away from me.”

“Ah, so it was true… hehe, you know, I am rather relieved to hear it from you yourself. I don’t quite think I was really looking to… to deter her or anything, I think I just wanted the resolution of knowing for certain that that’s what it was. After all, I’ve long accepted that I was never going to always be your favourite. Just… just knowing that you do still love me, is honestly enough for me.”

“Are you certain? I would loathe to continue down a path that would alienate you, and divorce you from your true feelings for me.”

“I am I am, Lady Rhea. I swear it. It’s honestly all I’ve wanted, thinking back on it… Not the kind of passionate love that you may share with Edelgard, but just… the kind of familial love where I just know that you care for me and will always look after me, however passively, you know? Just, as long as she brings you happiness, I am content with the role I play in this strange family.”

“She does. Edelgard… I never realized how dear she could truly become to me, but it is true, she brings me a happiness I didn’t imagine I could find with a… with someone.”

“Then I will defend her just as I defend you, Lady Rhea. If she really does mean that much to you, then she does to me too, and I will protect her for your sake.”

At this point, Edelgard pulls away from the door, blushing flustered. She… well, she really didn’t expect the conversation to go down this path. She was genuinely concerned at first that things might not go very well, but hearing this… geez, she really shouldn’t have misplaced her trust in Catherine to be decent about all of this. More than decent, in fact. To think, her big sister would be looking after her from now on, as she supports her… her relationship with Rhea… 

Perhaps things really aren’t as pessimistic as Edelgard had expected, at least with Catherine. That’s right. Rhea, Seteth, Flayn, Catherine… they’re all a family together, a family that Edelgard has long been deprived. Oh, and Cyril too of course. He’s like the cute little brother who’s always scurrying about, keeping busy. He is quite endearing in that way, if only he isn’t so prickly and weird about being his mama’s favourite. Hehe, but that’s fine. They’re family, and they always will be, that’s what’s important.

Perhaps, her path towards ascension as the Adrestian Emperor isn’t nearly as lonely as she once had thought. Perhaps, just perhaps, Edelgard’s future is actually a happy one, like one she could have only dreamed about in the past…


	10. White Clouds - Pegasus Moon

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The month is Pegasus Moon. It is time for Edelgard's ascension as the Adrestian Emperor.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh dear lord this chapter took so fucking long to write, it was such a huge challenge due to the length and content I have planned. Funny enough it was the Rheagard moments that took me the longest to write because I had to really shift into maximum baby overdrive to channel Edelgard's gay baby self. And the transition from Part 1 into Part 2 was a little rushed cause it's almost 3am and I'm losing my mind.
> 
> But anyways! Climax of the story! I hope you guys enjoy!

Solon and Kronya have finally been put down. Edelgard has no doubt that Thales will not be pleased with this development, but she doesn’t really care anymore about him and his faction. In fact, she’s fairly glad that the Black Eagle House has finally managed to push back against Those Who Slither In The Dark, and avenged Jeralt for Byleth’s and Rhea’s sake. Perhaps, this could be the first step in ridding herself of their vile and distasteful presence in her life, if only they can take down Thales as well…

Oh right, speaking of Byleth. That whole, you know, disappearing and then reemerging from nowhere with teal hair and eyes and all. Yeah. That whole thing. Rhea certainly was happy to see that Sothis has taken a more direct presence in Byleth, but… Edelgard can’t help but feel kind of uneasy about the whole thing. The whole reason why Sothis’s heart was planted within Byleth was so she can eventually manifest in the world again through her body, but wouldn’t that mean that her dear professor would be lost to her? Edelgard is as excited as Rhea to see her mother brought back into the world, but if it means losing her beloved professor… it’s a rather uncomfortable thought. She really hopes that it won’t come to that.

Perhaps it’s because of this worry, that after the mission, the princess ends up spending quite a bit of time checking up on her professor, even when she tells her she’s fine. Maybe she’s just being paranoid, maybe Byleth really is going to be fine, maybe even when Sothis fully manifests, she won’t erase Byleth, who knows! Maybe Edelgard has nothing to worry about, and she’s just… blargh. She’s going to have to really practice making herself believe in Byleth’s words so she can stop fretting over losing her forever.

Byleth’s existence isn’t the only concern on Edelgard’s mind either. There’s also Hubert, who’s been… extremely elusive lately. Not only have they completely stopped having secret meetings, he’s never around anymore, asides from when he has to be, like for class. But the moment he has time off, he’s gone, without giving the imperial princess any indication as to where he’s been going. It’s… really unnerving. Edelgard knows that he probably has her best interest in mind, and that he’s just doing the usual thing he does, but the fact that he seems to avoid her outright now is… it’s really worrying.

There’s been no word from Thales either, for that matter. He’s probably obviously displeased with what has happened, and as much as Edelgard despises his presence, not having heard anything from him is just as disconcerting. It’s as the saying goes, ‘keep your friends close, and your enemies closer’, and for once, her enemies are staying quite far away from her. And it makes her uncomfortable.

At least Count Bergliez and the other loyal vassals of the Adrestian Empire are still remaining in contact with the imperial princess. It’s nice to regularly receive updates from them as she prepares for her coronation, as it serves as good reminder of their devotion to the cause. Their support is going to be so important to her as she ascends the throne, as they’ll prove to be useful leverage in ridding her of her political enemies, like Duke Aegir and Count Varley. And, with Archbishop Rhea backing her reign, there will be none within the empire who can oppose her reforms…

Who knows? Maybe once things have settled, Edelgard might even request the archbishop to coronate some of her more qualified vassals as kings, instead of just dukes or counts. Allowing vassal kings to manage parts of the Empire instead of requiring her to manage every single vassal would certainly improve the efficiency of the bureaucracy. The princess may not have actually sat down and did the administrative work her father has yet, but even she knows that it can be quite a headache. Who would she appoint as a vassal king though, she wonders? Maybe Ferdinand, as the King of Aegir? No no, he’s too competitive with her, she’d rather not give him more reason to keep up this silly one-sided rivalry. Perhaps Bernadetta as the Queen of Varley? No way, she’d never want to step up for that role. Maybe Caspar… ahh forget it, she can think about that when she’s actually empress. 

That’s where things are now, really. As Seteth is given the task of hosting a small celebration in honour of Byleth receiving divine blessings from the goddess, a celebration meant to distract the public from the coronation that is about to take place, Edelgard, Lady Rhea, and Catherine are preparing in secret for their journey into Enbarr. It’s such an exciting thought, finally being able to become the emperor, with the archbishop’s support, finally being able to make the changes she’s been wanting to make all these years, finally being able to do it…

Naturally all the voices in her head that harass her regularly keep telling her that things will go wrong one way or another, but for once Edelgard chooses to ignore them. She has far too much to look forward to, with such a strong support network backing her up for once, that she’s not willing to let her usual cynicism and pessimism get the best of her. It’s just kind of annoying that these voices get louder the closer the day draws, but the princess won’t let anything hold her back from finally seizing her destiny.

Finally, has the day come. Boarding a covered carriage, Edelgard, Rhea, and Catherine depart in secret early in the morning for Enbarr, the imperial princess and soon-to-be emperor seated with her mother, with her big sis at the wheel. Or err, the horse, rather. Goddess, even just the seating arrangement makes Edelgard excited, as she’s able to just… close her eyes and lean against Rhea, and get her mother’s comforting arm draped around her shoulder. It’s such a comforting gesture that she never would have thought she’d be able to enjoy so casually.

“Enjoying yourselves back there?” Catherine calls out, looking back with a smirk and a tip of the large bamboo hat meant to conceal her identity. She’s become okay with Edelgard’s… relationship with Rhea, ever since that night. More than okay actually, she’s even starting to encourage them to be closer together, something that makes Edelgard flustered and a bit embarrassed. But in like a good way. “I hope you two aren’t exhausting yourself before we arrive, we’ve got a long journey ahead of us. We’re not arriving in Enbarr before noon, you know!”

“Don’t say it like that! It’s not like we are doing anything like… like that!” Goddess, that wink from Catherine too! She’s really determined to hook them up now, isn’t she!? Edelgard’s blushing so much now… Under her breath, she mumbles, “At least not out here like that…”

“Of course not, that’s for after the coronation.” Nooo! Now Rhea is teasing her about this too! How unfair! As Catherine laughs heartily at that, Edelgard further buries her face into Rhea’s embrace, her face just as red as her tights. Admittedly, it is an exciting thought, doing… doing that with Rhea tonight… but no, no Edelgard is fairly certain she is only teasing. Things would never go THAT far, especially not today!

...Although, it’s still kind of difficult to resist. Err, Rhea’s… thighs, that is. As Edelgard leans against her mother in a comfortable embrace, she finds her eyes drifting towards her enchantingly soft lap. The lap pillow that her head has rested on a few times before… it beckons for her! Goddess though, Edelgard has never actually gotten an opportunity to examine it up close like this before, and now that she has, she realizes just how incredibly huge Rhea’s thighs are. Especially now that she’s seated, all her thigh meat is like, squished in a way that makes them look extra wide and inviting. And extra difficult for Edelgard not to just… bury her face in it. No, that would probably be a bit much…

But a hand is fine, right? A hand is fine. Probably. Cautiously, she places a hand upon Rhea’s thigh, hoping that it would be… she dunno, acceptable or something. ...No reaction from Rhea. That’s good. Edelgard is just gonna… gently squish, and move her hand, slowly, up and down her mother’s soft squishy thigh. It’s just… so mesmerizingly soft, and squishy, and… admittedly, it’s kind of turning Edelgard on a bit just touching her mother’s thigh like this. It’s just such an intimate act, and the first time she really gets to… explore her mother’s body like this. 

Still though, Rhea hasn’t really said anything yet, and it’s making Edelgard wonder if it’s really okay. So, moving her head even while it’s leaning against Rhea’s body in a cuddle, she looks up at her mother. Oh! It seems like her mother’s cheeks are just as red as hers. Rhea even gives her a somewhat excited smile and a peck to the forehead when they made eye contact too, how exciting! Edelgard supposes this means it’s okay to keep going, or maybe take it a bit further…

Of course, Edelgard has to make sure she doesn’t get TOO excited here. If she makes too much noise rubbing Rhea’s thighs through her dress, Catherine would probably notice, and it would be kind of awkward. It’s not like her big sis hasn’t accepted their relationship, but still… it’d still be kinda awkward! So Edelgard keeps herself… at least calm enough not to move too much, just continuing to rub her mother’s thigh softly, gently, sensually…

Ah, it seems like Rhea’s starting to get touchy too, hehe. With her arm draped around Edelgard’s shoulder, she starts pulling Edelgard in closer so she can reach down to grope at her chest. It’s kind of an awkward position to do this in, but neither of them really care right now. Just having Rhea grope at her breast right now while she feels up her thighs is… just so exciting for Edelgard…! Aah, she kinda wishes they’re in a better position now, she’d really love to take this further, but there’s not enough space in a carriage for that. Especially not with Catherine at the wheel.

After groping her breast a few times, Rhea seems satisfied, or perhaps because the position is too awkward, and withdraws her hand, returning to simply draping her arm around Edelgard. Edelgard takes this as a cue to chill too, and stops fondling her mother’s thigh, instead simply resting her hand on it. Yeah, they have had enough for now, they really shouldn’t take it TOO far right now. Nor get too turned on for that matter. That’ll have to be for later. For now, all there is to do is to simply enjoy the intimacy of being together for the ride. 

\---

By noon, the group has finally arrived in Enbarr, although Edelgard and Rhea remain on the carriage for a while longer, as Catherine navigates through streets unfamiliar to her, but all too familiar to her passengers. As all the nobles of Adrestia reside in the capital city instead of in their own fiefdoms, a measure taken by previous emperors to ensure that they could have a tighter control over their vassals, it is more than important for the imperial princess and the archbishop to travel in secret, so that their presence would not be detected by political enemies. That was the whole purpose of being coronated early, after all.

It isn’t until they actually arrive at the imperial palace, that Edelgard and Rhea finally exit the carriage together. With the imperial princess leading the group, they gain entry into the imperial palace, escorted by the group of guards stunned by the presence of the archbishop herself. It’s no surprise, as the Empire has not been on amicable terms with the Church in quite a while. Nevertheless, the three make their way to the throne room, to the old and enfeebled emperor himself.

Without ado, Edelgard speaks, “Father, forgive me for asking this of you. I know how much pain you’re in, how the burden of the throne weighs heavily on you, and so…”

Seeming to know where this is going, Ionius says in his raspy and exhausted voice, his words interspersed with coughing, “There is no need to apologize, Edelgard. You must know… that I do not have much time left in this world. The time has come.”

“Thank you, Father.” Edelgard bows deeply, before proceeding, “Now, to complete the Imperial succession, you must relinquish your crown here in the throne room. I know that the relations between Adrestia and the Church of Seiros have been damaged in the past. For that reason, I seek to repair relations with the Church, and as such, have decided to once again honour traditions by bringing Archbishop Rhea of the Church of Seiros to act as witness.”

“Edelgard…”

“From this day forward, the weight of the Empire’s future shall rest upon my shoulders. All that I do will be for the benefit of the people of Fódlan.”

As Edelgard kneels before her father, and the archbishop takes her place besides the two, her father rises, with the crown in hand. Placing it upon the princess’s head, he speaks, with all the honour and strength he can muster, “Edelgard von Hresvelg… The crown is yours. By the covenant between the red blood and the white sword, and by the double-headed eagle upon your head, I hereby pronounce you the new emperor. Are you prepared to take those responsibilities as your own?”

Humbling keeping her gaze down, even with the crown upon her head, Edelgard speaks, her words rehearsed and her voice prepared, “In accordance with the ancient covenant, and in keeping with the Hresvelg legacy, I swear that upon this throne, I shall use my reign to lead Fódlan to a new dawn, and achieve peace for all.”

With Ionius’s role in the coronation completed, the archbishop speaks as well, “Emperor Edelgard von Hresvelg, as the Archbishop of the Church of Seiros and representative of the Goddess herself, I hereby ordain thy reign of the Adrestian Empire legitimate and divinely anointed. May the long-lived Adrestia prosper under your just and righteous rule, and see its clergy restored.”

Edelgard can tell that this act of rejoining with the authority of the Church in her coronation is going to displease many of her vassals throughout the Empire, but this is a necessary step towards building an everlasting peace. It will be a difficult and perhaps tumultuous transition towards centralization and the abolishment of hereditary nobility, but it will be necessary to see peace and harmony restored in Fódlan. And only with the auspices of the Church, will that future be a reality.

With the coronation process completed, Ionius once again sits, and Edelgard rises, the crown now in her possession. Her father is doubtless filled with fear of what may come after his passing, but he nevertheless speaks, “The Imperial succession is complete. My daughter, I regret that I could not do more for you. When you were stolen away to the Kingdom, when the prime minister did those horrible things, I could only watch in horror.”

“I… I understand, Father.” It always pains Edelgard to remember how much her father has suffered alongside her through all those difficult years. She may have used that pain to forge a path forward, but she certainly hopes that in his final years, that her father will be able to find the solace he deserves after this difficult reign. “In those dark times, your eyes and your fists were my salvation. Within your eyes, I saw true care. And upon your fists clenched tight with indignity, I saw the blood that dripped and fell. Even as I bled, I felt that you too, must also be bleeding.

“But now, things have changed. My time at the Officer’s Academy has enlightened me, and given me the strength to act in not just vengeance, but righteousness as well. Not only do I share the vision of reformation you once held for Adrestia, I now also bear with me a renewed conviction to see the Empire modernized and rejoined with the Church. In your name, Father, I will see our tormentors brought to justice, and the roots of corruption within the empire removed, so that you may rest in peace when your time comes.”

This moment with her father, which the two have not had the time to share up until now, was unceremoniously disrupted with the entrance of the prime minister himself. The vile and bloated fool speaks with feigned reverence and barely masked disgust, “Your Majesty! You must not leave your sleeping chambers in your condition… Ah, Edelgard... I did not expect to find Your Highness here. Not with the Archbishop, least of all.”

How fortunate he should arrive just on time for Edelgard to finally see this man removed from power. Speaking properly, but with a hint of smugness in her voice, she says, “Prime Minister, you have misspoken. I am no longer Your Highness, but rather… Your Majesty.”

“I-impossible!” Hah, that’s the look of fear Edelgard has always wanted to see upon Duke Aegir’s face. For once, the tables have turned, and this man shall fall.

Ionius speaks, reaffirming Edelgard’s command, “It is true, Edelgard is the new emperor of the Adrestian Empire, crowned with the auspices of the Archbishop of the Church of Seiros. We will summon the officials and prepare an ordinance at once. And you, Prime Minister…”

“Are dismissed.” Aah, how satisfying, Edelgard has always wanted to say that. Wielding the power to finally rid herself of the enemies who have haunted and tormented her, with the authoritative backing of both her father and Rhea… “It will be some time before you are allowed to make contact with the outside world again.”

“No! How can this be? I…” Frantically looking around, as if looking for anyone who would support him, but only finding the condemning stares of the enemies he’s made over the years, and of the Archbishop and her bodyguard as well.

In fact, even the archbishop speaks up, reinforcing Edelgard’s decree, “It would be wise not to rouse the ire of your new emperor upon the first day of her rule, Duke.”

Seeing that he has no one to stand by him, Duke Aegir resigns to his fate, and says with a dispirited bow, “Understood, Your Majesty.”

Seeming satisfied with this, Ionius speaks once again, “Edelgard… my dear El, I leave the fate of Fódlan… in your capable hands.”

“Father… I will not disappoint.”

With the meeting concluded, former Duke Aegir placed under house arrest (he should be grateful Edelgard is merciful enough not to place him in the oubliette instead), it is time to arrange for the ordinance. With her mother and her big sister at her side, Edelgard arranges for the meeting with confidence. She has never thought that she would be doing this with anyone by her side, rather than simply alone, but this is so much better than she would have ever dreamed of.

\---

The first day of rulership for Edelgard is just every bit as stressful as she had anticipated. Meeting with so many government officials and nobles, having to speak in front of a large crowd, putting corrupt nobles under house arrest and stripping them of their titles, all the functions and duties of a diligent emperor. Of course, there is also the matter of appointing new government officials and bureaucrats and functionaries, a task far more tedious and bothersome than it really ought to be. At least most of the significant positions have been appointed thus far with individuals Edelgard knows to be capable, the less significant positions she’ll deal with later when there is more time.

Goddess, what a stressful day… There is still the matter of having to look over all the laws and ordinances and deciding which ones must be changed or removed and whatnot too, which is a task Edelgard is going to have to leave for… after the graduation to handle. There is no way she has enough time to do all that before having to return to the monastery in time for the celebration Seteth is putting up. At least in her absence, she can trust her father to serve as regent and continue to manage the empire until she feels more ready to handle all of the responsibilities on her own.

Well, at least, as stressful as the first day of being an emperor is, it’s at least it has concluded for now. As Edelgard retreats into the inner sanctum of the palace to her private quarters to enjoy a nice, quiet dinner by herself, she ends up finding Catherine seated at her table as well. Ah, that’s right, she did give explicit permission to the archbishop and her bodyguard free access to the inner sanctums of the imperial palace. There goes the plans for a nice, quiet dinner. It’s fine though, she has been looking forward to spending some time with her big sis anyways, as they really haven’t had any time to do so ever since like… last month? The month before? She can’t even remember now.

As Edelgard seats herself and a servant brings her her meal, something she has to get used to as an emperor and still finds jarring coming from the academy, Catherine greets her with a wave, but barely stops in her gluttony. It seems like whether in the imperial palace of Enbarr or at the Garreg Mach Monastery, things really are the same. With a swig of her ale, which Edelgard wasn’t even aware was kept in the palace, Catherine says, “Aah, nothing like a nice feast after a long day of work, eh Edelgard? Come on, eat up!”

“Yes, of course. It is nice to finally have some time off.” Well, maybe not having a quiet dinner in exchange for having companionship is nice too. After all, Catherine has been more than helpful to her today and, well, just in general lately, really. It seems like after that one night, she’s just been… so much more affectionate with her. It’s still a bit to get used to. “Um… thank you for your help today, Catherine. The first day of being an emperor turned out to be a lot more than I had anticipated, I don’t think I could have managed it all on my own without your help.”

“Yeah, of course! Anytime, Edelgard. Heh, well, of course, once you graduate and properly remain here as emperor, I might not be able to, since I’m part of the Knights of Seiros and all, but you know. Anytime within the bounds of what I can do for you.” Yeah, Edelgard realizes that. Catherine’s duty is sworn to Rhea after all, she can’t be her steward forever, and that she was going to have to delegate the task to someone else once she’s properly ruling in Enbarr. “Just, anything I can do for you, just let me know, yeah?”

“Yes, of course. I will keep that in mind.” This isn’t the first time Edelgard has seen Catherine eat, but it’s still a surprise how quickly she can eat even when she’s so busy being a chattermouth. That’s certainly a skill she doesn’t have, as she finds herself awkwardly pausing between saying things to chew and swallow, as her big sis goes on and on. “I just… Heheh, excuse me. It’s just, this is still a lot for me to get used to. I’m so used to… being alone, I suppose. Now that I say it, it sounds a little… err, pathetic, but I really have grown used to simply doing things on my own, that having someone so willing to lend a hand feels like a novelty.”

“Yeah, I know it can be a rough world out there. Like, I’m not going to pretend I know what you’ve been through, and honestly that doesn’t matter much to me.” That kinda surprises and offends Edelgard a bit, but she holds her feelings back, sensing there’s more to what Catherine is trying to say than her snap reaction would have her believe. “I mean, I’ve been through my fair share of bullshit too, and I’m not going to get into that. But you know what? When I was at my lowest point, when I was alone and scared and on my own, Lady Rhea was the one who took me in. She was the one who showed me that I was not alone, and that I don’t have to be. So uhh, I guess what I’m trying to say is that, I don’t know what you’ve been through, Edelgard, but you don’t have to be alone. And I’m willing to reach out to you the same way Lady Rhea did with me, so you don’t have to be.”

“C-Catherine…” Goddess, Edelgard really wasn’t expecting something so… so heartfelt, in the middle of a meal, of all times. She can’t even fully bathe in the poignancy of shedding a tear because she’s too busy chewing and swallowing food! That’s so awkward! But really, the awkwardness of this whole thing just makes her laugh (after she’s swallowed). It really does… it really does feel nice though. Wiping a tear and taking a deep breath, she’s only really able to utter, “Oh Catherine… you’re so much.”

“Heheh, sorry sorry, I know, maybe that was a bit much.” Seeing the effect saying something so passionate while chowing down on food had on Edelgard, Catherine ends up laughing too, realizing how ridiculous she’s being. But even so, even being able to make her little sister laugh, it brings a blush to her cheeks, as though she’s had one too many drinks. “I, I really do mean it though, Edelgard. I… before I really understood what was going on, and what my place was, I was just insecure and jealous, but now… I dunno, I feel so much more comfortable with everything now. It’s like we’re all a big family, you know?”

“Yes, that is true. On that note…” Having calmed down a bit, but with still a wonderfully happy smile across her face, Edelgard looks up at Catherine, their eyes meeting, “I… um, big sis, I wouldn’t really mind if you… if you’d like to address me as El instead. It’s… it’s what my parents and my closest sisters used to call me when I was little. And I would like you to call me it too.”

“Oh? El, huh? Hehe, that’s really cute. I can get used to that.” Oh goddess, now it’s Catherine’s turn to make Edelgard blush and all that. This is… this is the first time she has let anyone outside of her family address her like that, and it really feels good. It really does feel as if Catherine is her big sister, someone she can always rely on and place her trust in. It makes her feel so… so safe. “You know El, back when we first met, I could have guessed that you’d have such a soft and adorable side. But I suppose every girl’s got one they only show to those they trust, huh? Even the toughest of us.”

“Y-yes, I suppose that is… that is one way to put it.” Oh gosh, her big sis is really seeing right through her, huh? The fact that Edelgard has always wanted to be soft and tender with someone, instead of being the hardened and strict princess people take her to be. “Truthfully, all I really want is to… is to have a loving family again. And, with Rhea, with Flayn, Seteth, you, Byleth, I really… I really do feel like I do. I really do feel like I once again have a place I will always belong, a family I can call home. I know that… I know that after my graduation from the academy, I will have to be apart from you and Rhea and Flayn and Seteth again, but I… I honestly kind of hope that my Professor will come to Enbarr to be with me.”

“Heheh, pining for Byleth too, eh? I thought she’d be your type. Besides Lady Rhea, obviously.” Don’t tease like thaaaat, Catherine! Edelgard’s just… really weak for beautiful authority figures with an amazing figure, is all! There’s nothing wrong with that! “That would be pretty nice though, I agree. She has the heart of a mercenary, and mercenaries are not the type to have that kind of commitment, but you know, who really knows? She might if you ask. She has surprised me time and again, after all.”

The way Catherine said that, with a blush on her cheeks and a dreamy look in her eyes… Perfect opportunity to tease back! “Catherine, you’re crushing on Professor too, aren’t you?”

“Huh? What are you… no no, let’s not go there, shall we?” Success! That was definitely a weakness of hers, as Edelgard snickers at her big sister being the one who’s flustered now. Heheh, looks like despite how playful and assertive Catherine acts, she’s really just as soft and gay as Edelgard, huh? “A-anyways! You already have Lady Rhea, don’t you? There’s no need for the emperor to have a harem, is there?”

“A h-harem? I-it’s not like, it’s not like Rhea and I are like… are like that!” Oh no! Thoughts of Rhea being in Edelgard’s harem, dressed all promiscuously, awaiting for her in bed… oh no! That’s too much! “B-besides, she is far too dignified to be an imperial concubine! She is the archbishop! And, and uhh… speaking of, where has she been, anyways? I have not seen her since she helped me write out the ordinances for a renewed position for the Church of Seiros within the Empire this afternoon.”

“Ah, right. She retired early today, saying she wanted some rest early. I chatted with her a bit earlier as she ate a bit, before she headed off to get some rest.” Not having to keep talking about her feelings for Byleth, Catherine seems a lot less flustered now, as she recalls her encounter with Rhea earlier. Edelgard figures this must have happened before she returned to the inner sanctum. “I don’t think anyone told her where the honoured guest chambers are though… uhh, so I suppose it’s anyone’s guess where she is right now.”

“Oh, that’s… rather odd.” Perfect timing for Edelgard to finish eating her meal, as she’s really curious where her mom is now. She should go look for her, she’s been… she’s been wanting to spend some time alone with her all day now, after all. It would be nice if they have the chance to tonight. “Hm, alright. I will go look for her then.”

“Good luck then El. Don’t get too wild, now.”

Oh don’t wink like that, Catherine. Goddess, always such a tease, having Edelgard flustered again as she heads off to look for her mommy.

\---

Well. Edelgard didn’t really know what she expected, when she asked her servants which bedchamber the archbishop had retired to. She was under the impression that Rhea didn’t really know her way around the inner sanctum, and that she might have asked a servant to direct her to the proper bedchamber, but apparently she didn’t. Apparently, she just… made her way to Edelgard’s bedchamber herself, and insisted she rest there for the night.

And as expected, she’s just… in her nightgown, with her hair down, comfortable in Edelgard’s bed, when Edelgard finds her. This is so… this is so intimate!! This is her bedroom! The one she grew up in! The one she keeps all of her personal belongings and… and stuffed animals in! She definitely wasn’t ready to show her mom all of this! Aaaa, she even has to change into her sleepwear too, which she hasn’t even gotten the chance to do yet either…

“Rh-rhea! I… um, I did not… I was not expecting to find you here! So um, how do you… how do you like my… my bedchamber?” Oh this is so awkward. Her mom’s just relaxing in her bed while Edelgard’s trying real hard to keep her cool right now, and failing miserably as her face is absolutely beet red. “I… um… oh goddess…”

“Relax, Edelgard. There’s no need to fret. I find your bedchamber most welcoming, and very comfortable.” Oh Rhea is absolutely doing this on purpose. As she rises out of bed and approaches Edelgard, Edelgard can feel her heart pounding faster and faster in her chest, realizing that she is just as ready for whatever is about to come as she was for her first day as emperor. As Rhea circles behind her and drapes her arms around her in a motherly embrace, she says softly, “Come now, relax, my little El. There is nothing to worry about. Although, shouldn’t you be in your sleepwear by now, hmm?”

Oh this is so much!! Edelgard can hardly even begin to wonder why Rhea already knows about her affectionate pet name, because her mind is just positively racing for other reasons right now. Namely, the fact that her mom is just starting to undo the buttons on her uniform, like it’s a normal thing…!! Although, she supposes if she really was her mother, this wouldn’t be so strange, it would just be a mother helping her daughter dress for sleep, but…!! But!!

“M-mother, this… I, I can do this myself, I am not… I am not a child…” Edelgard weakly protests, although making no effort to actually stop Rhea undoing her shirt, as she’s too busy being flustered and also lowkey wanting this. After all, she’s… she’s always wanted to be more intimate with her, to be closer to her, she’s just never thought to initiate, so now… so now, having her mother initiate, really is more than she can hope for. She just hopes that she will be ready… and not be overwhelmed by how nervous she is right now.

“Shh, it’s okay El, let Mother take care of you.”

Aah, hearing Rhea say that… that really makes Edelgard weak. Her breathing slow but heavy, her heart racing but controlled, her desire burning but restrained, she simply stays still as she feels her clothes fall piece by piece to the floor, leaving her in simply her undergarments. Even as the cool air brushes against her skin, and nervous sweat rolls down her body, Edelgard feels unbearably hot all over, and yet at the same time not uncomfortably so, not while she’s cozy and warm within her mother’s arms. Even so, nothing can quell the burning heat in her loins, as her mother softly traces her fingers along her thighs, slowly dragging them along her skin before circling them along her abdomen, teasingly avoiding her inner thighs. 

As her mother’s fingers move upwards more, Edelgard squeezes her thighs together, trembling softly in anticipation, and gasping out loud as her anticipation is rewarded with her mother’s hands upon her breasts, groping and rubbing them gently, as if examining them. Such methodical, yet gentle and loving motions, such perverted, yet lustless fondling, it fills Edelgard with such conflicting feelings, both wanting her mother to escalate further, but also feeling held back by her own nervousness. Her lips quivering, she whispers, “M-mother… you’re touching me so much…”

“Mmm, nothing wrong with a little skinship, is there?” Rhea’s voice is teasing and playful as she continues to touch Edelgard in the same slow and methodical manner as before, although excitement is apparent in her voice nonetheless. Edelgard can only imagine how much her mother wants to take this further right now… although she senses also hesitation in her motions as well. “It has been so long since we have had time alone together to share like this, that I simply cannot hold back from… familiarizing myself with my lovely little girl… and yet, we really should not take this too far tonight, hmm? We do have a long day tomorrow, after all.”

Aah, fuck, that’s right… tomorrow morning, they are supposed to head back to the Monastery, so they can return in time for Byleth’s celebration, without being gone for too suspiciously long… blargh, Edelgard supposes that means she isn’t about to get some tonight then. Even so though, having been touched like this tonight was just so… so good…!! She can’t believe how much she missed skinship with her mother…

“You’re right, you’re right… “ With a kiss to her forehead from Rhea, Edelgard’s released from her embrace, as the two move towards the bed instead, never minding the fact that she never changed into her sleepwear. Not that Edelgard really minds. Just tonight, she thinks she would much prefer being without anyways. As she climbs into bed with her mother, and instinctively cuddle up against her, trying to get as much skin contact and warmth and coze as possible, Edelgard looks up at her with needy eyes, and asks, “We’ll get to do this more in the future though, right Mother? I… I need you so much, I don’t ever want to be apart from you…”

“But of course, my sweet little El. I am your mother, am I not?” Aaah, they’ve been doing this for a while, but Edelgard can still scarce believe how readily Rhea takes on her role as her mother… but it feels so good! Edelgard has never been so intimate and tender with anyone else before, so loving and affectionate, so… so docile and calm… “As long as you will always be my good little girl, I will always be Mother to you. As long as you will always love me, I will always dote upon and look after you…”

“I… I will then, Mother. I always will. Hehe, oh how could I not? Mother is the one who looks upon El in a way no one else does, Mother is the one who soothes and mends all of El’s aches and sorrows, her seizures and her hallucinations…” As she’s all cozied up in bed, clinging onto her mother like this, Edelgard feels her head all fuzzy and warm, and her thoughts all melty and stuff. It feels almost as if she is but a part of her mother, just a little girl cradled in her mother’s arms… “I just want to always be with Mother, always and always…! Maybe… um, I know that it might not be… that it might not be right for an archbishop to, but do you… do you perhaps think it might be possible for us… for us to be joined in matrimony someday? If that’s… if that’s something Mother might be interested in, that is…”

“A marriage? With me? Hmhm, El, oh El…” Uwahh, don’t laugh like thaaaat! Now El’s all embarrassed! It’s not her fault she just really loves Mother a lot, and that she thinks a lot about her every day! Even if Mommy’s the archbishop, and traditionally the clergy didn’t marry… “We will have to see, El. We’ll have to see what the future holds for the two of us… “

“Uu, okayy.” Edelgard pout pouts, but there’s nothing much to be done about that response. She really shouldn’t get her hopes up too much anyways, instead, she should really be cherishing the moments she gets to share with her mother like this. After all, once they’re back in Garreg Mach, they’re going to be back into the swing of things again, finishing up the school year, handling graduation, and setting her upon the path of the emperor back home to Enbarr… 

It’s sad to think about, but in the future, Edelgard really might not have as much time to spend with Rhea as she’d like. Her life as an emperor, and Rhea’s life as an archbishop, the both of them are simply far too busy and far too far away, that any time they will be able to spend together will be but a luxury. Sigh, how depressing, that even despite their strong bonds of love together, that life is determined to find a way to part them, one way or another…

Aah, but there’s no reason to dwell on that for now. After all, right now, she’s in her mother’s arms, and that’s all that matters. What may come tomorrow, or the day after, or the years after, that is for her to worry about when time comes. But for now, being with her beloved Mother is all that matters to El.

\---

The next morning comes, far too quickly for Edelgard’s preference, as she would have preferred to remain in bed with Rhea for just a while longer. But alas, the carriage back to Garreg Mach has already been prepared, as is Catherine, who greets Edelgard with a knowing wink, once again teasing and flustering her. So, before she knows it, the newly crowned emperor has left the capital city behind in the care of her trusted regent.

Enbarr… felt a little quiet as it disappeared from view. It may be early in the morning when the group departs, but Edelgard still feels like the capital city would have had far more activity. It is definitely something that would have warranted a bit of investigation, if only to get a status report on the state of affairs, but… no, it’s too late to go back and check. Besides, Edelgard is confident in her abilities, and in the stability of what is to come. Whatever may ail the city, she is certain she will be able to resolve by the time she graduates from the Officer’s Academy.

After all, she has her family by her side. And she always will.

As day eases into noon, and then into the early afternoon, the carriage nears the monastery however, the group quickly senses that something is amiss. There is… suspicious smoke over the horizon. It’s too far away to tell what the source of this smoke is, or if it even is an indication of anything wrong, but it’s enough to set the three of them on edge. Rhea, most of all, in fact. But Catherine too, who remains completely silent as she continues driving the carriage en route to Garreg Mach.

The closer and closer they are though, the more apparent it becomes that something is extremely awry. That something that should not have happened has happened. There is the distant sound of soldiers, there are sounds of explosions, of fighting. Coming from the monastery. It is at this point that Catherine can no longer hold back her calm, and urges the horses to run faster, to keep moving and moving, until they are finally there.

As the group approaches the monastery, the bodies come into view. So many dead bodies, belonging to both imperial and church troops, strewn across the monastery grounds. The battlefield has clearly moved on from this spot close to the monastery itself, as not a living soul remains in sight, just the flow of red colouring the earth and disappearing into the trampled banners of Adrestia.

Edelgard hurries off the carriage to assess the damage, as Rhea and Catherine do the same. So many soldiers have fallen here, and yet the fighting continues off in the distance. That’s right, this area must have just been the initial skirmish before the imperial troops pressed on and pushed the Knights back. Not a living soul in sight… until, the emperor hears a cough. Her head turning towards the imperial soldier bleeding out on the ground a short distance from her, Edelgard hurries over.

“Soldier! Tell me, what has happened here!?” Edelgard asks hurriedly, her heart heavy and her mind a pandemonium of voices as she kneels besides the man bearing a mortal wound to his abdomen.

“Aah, Your Majesty… so you are safe…” Even now, the dying soldier bears a smile on his face to see his emperor. Seeing this, Edelgard doesn’t have the heart to tell him that whatever he is dying for, it was not something she had wanted nor called for. His voice weak and his words interrupted by coughing, he says with his remaining strength, “The attack… the surprise attack is… is successful, Your Majesty. The Church… The Church of Seiros will fall, glory… glory to the Empire… glory to Emperor Edelgard…!”

With those foreboding words, the soldier draws his last breath, and falls limp, his final words sending a chill down Edelgard’s spine. What surprise attack…? She never ordered anything like this! She had… she had planned for a revolution, but that plan was long scrapped! She even explicitly told the marshal to focus the imperial forces on internal affairs! Who could have ordered this attack? The only one who could have… oh no. The only one could have would be… would be him…

Edelgard doesn’t have long to her own thoughts though, before she quickly becomes aware of a shadow looming over her. Oh no. Rhea, and Catherine. They… they’re not going to be pleased. Standing back up and turning around to face them, Edelgard hastily tries to explain, “Rh-rhea! I, I swear I did not-”

The moment she turns to face the archbishop though, Edelgard freezes. The look on her face… Rhea bears an expression that Edelgard has never seen before, one bearing an emotion she can’t even begin to decipher. It was not a frown, nor a scowl, no, it was rather… it was rather a look of despair, of disappointment, of… of hatred.

“You… how dare you. You have disappointed me, Edelgard.” No, no mother, please, it isn’t like that… The tone of voice Rhea speaks with terrifies her, and freezes Edelgard in place, unable to move nor speak, nor even breathe, forced to receive her punishment and bear the full force of her hallucinations coming back, telling her how much she has fucked up, how she should have known things weren’t going to be okay, how she should have known better than to think she would have a family again. “So, this is the choice you have made. You are just another failure. I should have never had expected you to be any better than the loathsome traitor that you are.”

Rhea’s words pierce through Edelgard’s chest like a stake, sending a pang of despair through her body and mind. No, all of this is wrong, it isn’t supposed to turn out this way… Edelgard feels cold and achy all over, as if she’s been frostbitten all over her body, and her heart pounds in her constricted chest. As she looks up at Rhea’s hateful gaze, Edelgard feels like she was back in the basement again, when she was tormented day and night with traumatic and agonizing experiments. Her throat drying up, she begins to cry, helpless and restrained in the bonds of her own misery.

Turning away from Edelgard, Rhea and Catherine begin heading towards the monastery, leaving her behind, as the archbishop calls for the holy knight to retake command of the Knights of Seiros in their defense against the attack. Before long, the two of them have fully disappeared from view, leaving Edelgard on her own to weep and lament her abandonment. 

Her… her mother doesn’t love her anymore. No, she said it herself, she loathes her, she… No… no, it can’t end like this. Edelgard has finally found a family for herself, with Rhea, with Seteth, Flayn, Catherine, it can’t just… she can’t just let this end this way. Hubert must have forced this to happen to force her back into the fold, but Edelgard won’t allow it. As the emperor, she has to put an end to this, even… even if Rhea won’t love her anymore. Even if her mother won’t love her anymore…

Wiping her tears away, Edelgard quickly salvages a silver axe and a few tomahawks from the nearby bodies, and heads towards the scene of battle. She has to put an end to this, she has to order the imperial troops to stand down and retreat. She can’t let this go on any further. She can’t let anyone bring any harm to Rhea.

As she draws near to the site of battle, she sees a familiar face. Her professor is on the fringe of the battlefield, directing the evacuation of the civilians in the area. At first, Edelgard is relieved to see a familiar face, but the moment Byleth notices her, she scowls and draws the Sword the Creator. Oh no, that’s right. Everyone at Garreg Mach probably thinks Edelgard is a traitor right now, thanks to Hubert…

“Professor, wait! Wait…! I did not call for this attack! You have to believe me!” She hurriedly explains, lowering her axe and begging with her voice still wracked with tears. Edelgard has already lost Rhea and Catherine today, she won’t lose her beloved professor as well. “Please! You have to believe me, I did not order this attack! I… I don’t know for sure yet, but I am fairly certain it is Hubert’s doing, trying to sabotage me!”

“Edelgard…” Byleth still seems tense as she speaks, but she thankfully lowers her sword. The scowl on her face quickly replaced with a look of sadness, before she refocuses and calls back out to her student, “I trust you, Edelgard. You have to hurry and put an end to this attack, I try to join in the battle once I have evacuated all the civilians in the area.”

“I, I… I understand, I was just on my way to do so.” Feeling relieved that… at least someone believes her, Edelgard calms her voice a bit from warbling, and tightly grips her axe once again. Feeling like more has to be said, but there not being enough time to say everything she wants to Byleth, she simply says, “Professor, I… thank you. Thank you for believing in me. I promise, I will set things right.”

Byleth gives her a nod, and turns her attention back to helping the civilians move in an orderly and efficient manner. With a burst of courage from this reassurance, Edelgard hurries on her way towards the battlefield. She will put an end to this, and stop Hubert, no matter what.

As she arrives at the edge of the battlefield, Edelgard quickly surveys the battle to get a sense of what to expect. From where she stands, she is closest to the left flank of the imperial army, led by Metodey. As expected. And on the defense against Metodey’s forces, is her own Black Eagle House, led by Ferdinand. That’s right, her own house… Edelgard sincerely hopes that after this, her friends will still believe in her… no, now’s not the time for that. She turns her attention back to the battlefield, resumes surveying it.

The middle flank of the imperial army is led by the Death Knight, against the Blue Lion House. Oh dear, Dimitri… Edelgard sincerely hopes Dimitri will not see her right now, she has no doubt that he’s probably seeking to behead her for this… yeah, it would be safer to remain out of his sight and behind enemy lines for now. As for the right flank of the imperial army, the furthest one away from her current position, it’s led by… of course, Hubert himself. Directing the soldiers under his command against Claude, leading the Golden Deer House.

Everyone is here, except for… one person that Edelgard has expected to see. Where could he be…? Ah, of course, there he is. Way in the back stands Thales, directing the ballistae and demonic beasts, and his own troops against the Knights of Seiros, led by Catherine and Alois. Of course… of course he would be here. Edelgard is almost certain that this whole thing was orchestrated by Hubert and Thales working together against her, conspiring to lead her regime towards war against the Church, even though she had long abandoned that plan. She will have to see Thales dead for this…

For now though, she has to put an end to Metodey’s assault before any of her friends get hurt. Hurrying into the midst of battle, Edelgard makes her presence known, something that earned her the triumphant cries of her soldiers, before calling out to a confused crowd, “Stand down! I did not order this assault! Stand down now!”

The imperial troops all around her who heard her words quickly stop in their tracks, more out of confusion than anything. They mutter amongst themselves, knowing full well that that is indeed the emperor who stands before them, the one who gave the order to attack. But now she is saying she didn’t, and to stand down…? To reinforce her command further, Edelgard yells once again, this time fully asserting her authority, “Stand down, now! That is an order! Stand down, and withdraw! Whoever does not comply will be charged with treason!”

Hearing her command, many soldiers comply, albeit still confused about the situation. Although, some others do not. Namely, Metodey and his battalion remain pressing on. In fact, when he sees Edelgard barking out these orders, he snarls and yells back at her, “Hubert warned of impersonators! The real emperor would not retreat now of all times! Press on the attack! And take down that impersonator!”

Hearing Metodey’s treasonous words makes Edelgard’s blood boil. Just who does he think he is!? Thankfully, most soldiers have more sense than that, and simply remain where they are, confused about the situation, rather than raising their blades against their emperor. However, not Metodey’s personal battalion. Instead, he and his troops are now rushing at Edelgard, their swords raised and poised to strike. It’s a shame she does not have her shield nor armour with her right now, but looks like he leaves her with no choice.

Raising her silver axe, Edelgard charges towards the incoming traitors. Avoiding the spears and swords of her own soldiers, dodging deftly out of the way of their thrusts and swipes, she swings her axe in retaliation, her blade crashing through the soldier’s breastplate and cleaving him in the chest, felling him on the spot. Ducking out of the way of another sword swipe from another soldier, she swings first at his ankles, bringing him low before bringing her axe down on his head, cracking his helmet and his skull in half. Another soldier closes in too close with her sword, leaving Edelgard no space to simply dodge, so instead she swings her axe upwards, managing to hit the blade of the sword with the eye of her axe just before it makes contact with her, knocking the sword right out of the soldier’s hand, giving her ample time to swing and cut her down. 

Like that, the emperor cuts down traitorous soldiers one by one, all while avoiding their blades and spears, until Metodey’s the only one left in this little mutiny. The assassin snarls at Edelgard, coming at her with surprising agility as he swings his brave sword at her, first at her hands and then at her legs, with such alacrity that she barely manages to dodge out of the way. Metodey is a tough opponent, as even when Edelgard retaliates with swings of her axe, he remains unscathed and quick to respond with even more ferocity. Unable to respond in time, Edelgard ends up taking two swipes to her arms, the two thin cuts across her arms running red.

“Heh! Whoever you are, I won’t let you stop me from my work. I’ll kill as many as I have to!” Metodey exclaims, leaping back and licking his blade like some kind of a fucking freak. It makes Edelgard fucking sick just the thought of this guy tasting her blood like that. How disgusting, how vile.

“You disgust me, Metodey. You should have been dismissed as a commander long ago.” Edelgard growls, before leaping back into the fray, swinging her axe wildly at the assassin, and unfortunately missing every time. He’s far too slippery for her blade to connect in time before he’s out of the way and lashing back at her, only occasionally landing his blade upon her body. Nevertheless, it’s really starting to wear her down.

“Keheheheh! Big talk! There’s no way you can possibly be the emperor!” The more of an edge Metodey has in battle, the more hubristic he becomes, taunting Edelgard every time he manages to cut her with his blade. She even suspects that he might have started getting careless, as he starts making wider and bigger maneuvers with more and more openings. “I’ll strike you down and finish you off!”

Getting too cocky, Metodey makes a careless attack, lunging at Edelgard with his sword outstretched. He must have expected her to be far too weakened by her injuries at this point or something, because he really does leave far too much opening this time. He underestimates her though. With not just adrenaline running through her body, but also the Crest of Flames fueling her inhuman endurance she would not otherwise have, Edelgard takes a defensive stance, aim, and once Metodey is in range, swing, cleaving his head straight off his shoulders.

Grabbing a hold of Metodey’s decapitated head by the hair, Edelgard holds it up, not as a sign of triumph, but rather as a warning to the other imperial soldiers around. Once she has made sure that all of them have seen her, judging by their fearful cowering before her, she calls out once again, “I am Edelgard von Hresvelg, the Emperor of Adrestia! And I command all of you, to stand down and fall back! Whoever disobeys my direct order will be court martialed as a traitor and judged accordingly!”

It’s not a method she enjoys employing on her own subjects, using intimidation, but it has at least worked, the imperial troops in the left flank finally retreating and falling back, disengaging from the Black Eagle House. ...Ah right, her house. It seems like all of them have seen that bold display, huh. Oops. Ferdinand too. In fact, he’s looking pretty fucking intimidated right now. Edelgard figures he probably feels pretty cowed right now, after having witnessed her pull off such a bold feat of strength, but she has no time to waste on his sense of self-pity and whatnot. She has to get moving soon, to stop the Death Knight and his forces from advancing.

Before she leaves though, she calls out to the Black Eagle House, “I know what this may seem like, but please do not misunderstand. I will… I will try to explain everything to you once all of this is over, but for now, please just believe in me.”

The rest of her house seem surprised still, but nevertheless seem understanding, thankfully. For the most part. Seeing this, she quickly orders, “I am going to put an end to the Death Knight’s rampage against the Blue Lion House. Ferdinand, Bernadetta, Dorothea, the Knights of Seiros are currently struggling against demonic beasts. I want you three to go reinforce them. Caspar, Petra, Linhardt, the Golden Deer House frontline needs additional support, I expect you to provide aid to their archers. Understood? Move out!”

She didn’t actually wait for a response before hurrying off, but it seems like the rest of her house is complying regardless, thankfully. It isn’t that she doesn’t want to stick around and chat, it’s that Edelgard is kind of injured right now, and if she doesn’t keep herself immersed in combat, her Crest of Flames isn’t going to keep her injuries from throbbing with pain and bleeding out. At least, she is fairly certain the Death Knight is going to provide her all the fight she needs to keep going.

Coming into the central flank of the imperial army, she once again issues the command to all soldiers to step down and withdraw. Thankfully, the soldiers here are a lot more compliant, and did as she commanded without too much hesitation. But of course, there is the matter of the Death Knight, whose core battalion consists of troops from Those Who Slither In The Dark, and pays no allegiance to the Adrestian banner.

Calling out to the Death Knight, and knowing what his response is going to be, Edelgard says, “Death Knight! Stand down, now! I did not call you to fight here!”

“You. I do not answer to you now. You have become an ineffective leader. I answer to Thales now.” Hearing the Death Knight say that is infuriating. Did he really forget everything she has done for him? What an ungrateful…! Ugh, Edelgard is going to see Thales suffer for this. “I will enjoy killing you myself.”

Just about what Edelgard expected trying to get the Death Knight to stand down. No matter, she’s been looking for a fight with him anyways. He’s going to be a tough fight, being on horseback and wielding a polearm, but no matter, Edelgard charges at him with her axe nonetheless.

An upwards swing, but as he maneuvers the horse away, her axe only manages to scrape by his armour. The Death Knight in return swings the Scythe of Sariel at her, its reach forcing her to leap back to avoid getting cut. No, this isn’t going to work like this. Mounted, the Death Knight is far too untouchable to melee combat. Putting some distance between her and her target, Edelgard quickly throws a tomahawk or two at his chest instead, forcing him to dodge out of the way, before suddenly throwing a curved throw right at his leg. She could have aimed for the horse instead, but she hates injuring animals on the battlefield, so she’s going to avoid doing that, even if it means not being able to dismount him effectively. 

At least that third tomahawk manages to break through his cuisse and cut right into his leg, getting a cry of pain out from under his mask. Furious, the Death Knight raises the Scythe of Sariel and calls down thunder to strike Edelgard. Realizing that a direct hit would likely incapacitate her, Edelgard quickly leaps out of the way, but still ends up getting hit by some of the flying sparks, crying out agony as the sparks send a painful shock through her body. It would have triggered another seizure if the Crest of Flames isn’t continuously holding her together for combat.

Nevertheless, Edelgard persists. Having landed even just one hit on the Death Knight was good enough to make him falter in his defense, so she once again closes the distance and swings her silver axe upwards at him, only to have it caught mid-swing by his scythe. Ugh, that’s right, scythes are unconventional weapons, but they can be so unexpectedly good at parrying or breaking through parries. Struggling to dislodge her axe from her opponent’s scythe, Edelgard finds her axe yanked from her hand and flung far away. Before she can reach for another tomahawk to defend herself with, the scythe swings back around and cuts across her abdomen, leaving behind a large bloody gash, as Edelgard throws another tomahawk into his side to give herself time to move away.

This is bad. This is a ton of blood loss that not even the Crest of Flames will be able to make up for. The Death Knight is hardly breaking a sweat too, despite his own injuries. Edelgard really doesn’t think this can keep up for long, she has to think of some other ways of defeating him, or at least forcing him to retreat.

Just then, Edelgard finds herself enveloped by holy magic, a warm light surrounding her and closing the gash on her abdomen back up. It wasn’t perfect, but it at least prevented further blood loss and potential infection. But where did it come from…? Edelgard quickly scans for who her healer was, and finds Mercedes giving her nod from across the battlefield. Mercedes… she’s too nice. Edelgard silently thanks her for keeping her alive, but she nevertheless still needs to think of something, quick. The Death Knight is simply too strong, he easily outpaces her in combat, there’s no way this can keep up for her. Hmph, to think, Jeritza would…

...Wait, that’s right. That’s perfect. Edelgard knows exactly what to do.

“You will die, Edelgard.”

As the Death Knight once again rides towards her with his scythe outstretched, Edelgard tightens her grip on her tomahawk. She only has about four left, she can’t waste this. She only has one shot at this, or else she’s going to end up losing her head. Running towards her charging opponent, Edelgard feigns an attack, before quickly ducking into a slide, just underneath the arc of the Death Knight’s scythe swing, and throws a tomahawk upwards as hard as she can, aimed directly at his helmet.

No, not his head. He’d too easily duck out of the way. Edelgard is only trying to hit his horned helmet at just the right angle. As the tomahawk flies upwards, its blade makes contact with the horn of the Death Knight’s helmet at just the right angle and the right velocity that it ends up sending the helmet flying. In just the right direction too, that Edelgard had wanted.

The impact momentarily stuns the now-unmasked Jeritza, but he quickly regains his senses. And as soon as he does, he quickly turns to look for his helmet, panicked that his face is now exposed. Only to find Mercedes in the distance, picking up the horned helmet that just landed by her feet. A horrified look creeps onto his face, as his older sister staring straight at him, with a look of disbelief, and a soft, “...Emile? Is that… is that you?”

“No. No! Don’t look!” Jeritza tries to cover his face, or even just try to look away, not wanting his older sister to see him like this. Just the reaction Edelgard had been hoping for, exposing his identity like this. But of course, no matter how much he tries to hide himself from Mercedes, the both of them know at this point that there’s no way of making that happen. And there’s no way of making Jeritza kill Edelgard in front of his sister.

Infuriated, realizing that this was Edelgard’s plan to put him in a bad spot, Jeritza scowls at her, and growls, “You. This isn’t over. The next time we fight, I am taking your head. That is a threat and a promise.”

And off he rides, into the forest, away from the battlefield. With a confused Mercedes calling out after him, before giving up and instead helping Edelgard back on her feet.

What a relief, that her plan worked out just fine… and to have Mercedes healing up any other injuries she has sustained from her fight against Metodey. Nevertheless, Edelgard remains cautious, constantly scanning the battlefield for Dimitri, knowing that he will try to kill her if he sees her now. Thankfully, it seems like he and Dedue are too preoccupied fighting the mages from Those Who Slither in The Dark to have noticed her with Mercedes.

“Edelgard, are you alright? You’ve been fighting out here by yourself…” Mercedes asks, her voice full of concern that the emperor doesn’t feel like she deserves. She’s not even asking about the fact that they’re under attack by the imperial army, only about Edelgard’s wellbeing…

“Thank you Mercedes, but I will be fine. I still have work to do, you should be attending to your other friends’ injuries, I am only here to put an end to the fighting.” Edelgard explains, feeling rather ashamed of herself for her predicament and for Mercedes’s unrelenting kindness. She’s too good to someone who is a suspected traitor right now. “When… when all of this is over, I will explain. Just please know that I did not call for this attack. Someone is trying to sabotage me, and the Church of Seiros. I will… I will find them, and I will bring them to justice. Until then, just please, believe in me.”

“I will, Edelgard. I know you would never do such a thing.”

As instructed, Mercedes hurries off to heal her Blue Lion peers’ injuries, leaving Edelgard feeling even guiltier about her position. Everyone keeps telling her they know that she would never do such a thing, and yet… and yet months ago, she had planned to do this exact same thing. She really is a terrible person, huh…? Having the trust of so many, when she had been planning to stab them in the back this whole time… No wonder, no wonder her mother would stop loving her…

No, she can’t spiral now, especially not on the battlefield. There is one more flank of the imperial army that she has to placate, one last enemy commander she has to confront. Someone whom she had dreaded confronting this entire time, but there is no turning back now. Not for either of them. Once again taking a moment to scavenge for usable axes, and not bothering to scavenge for any armour since armour wouldn’t do anything to protect her anymore than her torn uniform would against her next opponent, Edelgard prepares herself to confront her childhood friend.

\---

Moving across the battlefield, Edelgard swings her axe once more, felling another soldier before his spear could touch her skin. Placating the right flank has been impossible, as the distressing reality of Hubert’s revolt becomes clear, in that he has managed to convince a sizable portion of the imperial army that the new emperor is incapable and undeserving of the throne. Unlike Metodey’s legion of mislead conscripts, the Death Knight’s retinues from Those Who Slither In The Dark, Hubert’s forces are primarily consisted of soldiers who genuinely believe in his mudslinging that Edelgard is incapable, and that the Adrestian Empire is ruled by a craven, undeserving ruler. That they will genuinely benefit from overthrowing her rule and the Church both.

Each and every word that rings from the mouths of the soldiers clearly originated from Hubert’s mouth, and the thought of that infuriates and stings Edelgard, and drives her to keep moving across the battlefield, slaying and cutting down whatever treasonous soldier dares raise their sword against her. To think, the one who would betray her and raise his banners against her in open revolt would be her most trusted confidant, the one who always operated with or without her consent in her best interest, the one who she once considered her _closest friend_. Her _childhood friend._ She supposes all of that means nothing now.

Cutting down another batch of soldiers who came at her with their axes and spears raised, and bearing another few minor injuries that don’t bother her as long as she remains in combat, the flame emperor does not stop marching until the target of her ire finally comes into view, standing in the back and directing his forces. Raising her axe high up above her head and bellowing a powerful warcry, the emperor breaks into a charge, determined to cut down the traitor. As her target notices her charging, he orders the battalion to cast group flames to stop her advancement, raining fire and brimstone upon the battlefield, striking down any unfortunate soldiers caught in the crossfire and forcing the emperor to weave and duck through the hellish hail.

As the enraged emperor weaves through, charred only here and there by the rain of fire, she lunges at the traitor and brings her axe down, sending debris flying as he ducks out of the way and flings a ball of miasma in retaliation. Unable to duck out of the way in time, she simply dislodges her axe and swings with enough force to disperse the miasma, before coming at her adversary again, relentlessly keeping up the attack. Fueled by adrenaline and a burning wrath, Edelgard yells, “You will pay for this act of treachery, Hubert! I had expected better from you than open revolt! Than to be a traitor!”

“Me, the traitor? I am but fighting for a cause you once championed, Edelgard!” Hubert keeps his voice calm as he speaks, even though the animated fury lurking just beneath boils up through his voice, as he leaps back away from another swing of the axe and flings another ball of miasma at the one he formerly served, the impact sending her back upon her heels and rippling agony through her body from the inside. He calls for another round of bombardment from his battalion, disregarding his own position being in the middle of the fray, and says with a bitterness that broke through his facade of calmness, “This was an offensive we had planned months ago, Edelgard! We were meant to be fighting the Church of Seiros together! Yet now you’re serving the archbishop herself!? I won’t allow it, I won’t allow it! I will kill the archbishop myself!”

“No… no, I can not let you!” Gritting her teeth and bearing the lingering pain from the miasma impact, Edelgard leaps out of a way of a fireblast, before swinging her axe at it and knocking it straight into Hubert’s chest, sending him reeling back. Using this opportunity, she once again charges at him, this time clocking him in the head with the butt of the axe, and following it up with a swing to his side, her hands guided by her inextinguishable desire to protect a family that has forsaken her. “I have come too far to forfeit the family I… I had, I had long been deprived! I won’t allow you to lay a hand upon Rhea, I won’t allow you to bring harm to her!”

“Hmph, so that’s how it is now, is it…?” As another volley of flames fall upon the flame emperor, forcing her back away from her adversary, Hubert uses the opportunity to put distance between him and Edelgard. Making use of the time he has bought for himself, he wipes the blood off of his lips and launches mire at his opponent, successfully catching her in its entanglement and slowing her recovery. Unleashing an anger he had buried for months and never allowed him to show, Hubert screams, “You have changed, Edelgard!

“You have become weak!”

He casts banshee, the blasts of corrosive energies crashing into her.

“Craven!”

Dark spikes, impaling her from every side.

“You are nothing like the princess I once devoted myself wholly to!” As he was about to cast death to finish off his once childhood friend, Hubert gazes upon Edelgard’s bloodied and battered body, and hesitates. A single tear emerges from his eye as he backs down, unprepared a second loss of his once dearest friend. Gritting his teeth, he hisses, “You are nothing like the Edelgard I once loved… You’re just the archbishop’s pawn now.”

As Hubert regathers his resolve to finish her off with a spell, Edelgard grits her teeth and pulls herself back up, bearing the agonizing pain blazing through her body, from her numerous open wounds to her spell-stung innards. Mustering whatever strength remains in her body, she raises her axe over her head and hurls it at her would-be executor, screaming as the axe lands in his chest, its blade burying into his flesh and breaking his focus. Breathing heavily and clutching onto her own injuries, Edelgard yells, “You… You would not understand, Hubert. You could not possibly understand the… the joy that was brought into my life by Rhea. It’s… it’s something I will never forsaken. Never…” 

“Edelgard… you, you are dead to me…” Grasping at the axe lodged in his chest, Hubert weakly yanks it out of his body and throws it to the side, before quickly sealing the wound back up temporarily with white magic, before he bleeds out too much. Had the blade broken through his rib cage, it would have been fatal. Realizing that in this state, there is no longer any way for him to continue fighting, Hubert begins calling for his troops to retreat, before once again turning to Edelgard, and saying as his parting words, “I… I will see the dream we once shared fulfilled, with or without you, Edelgard. I will do whatever it takes to bring the Church down, even if… even if I must face you again in battle. And if we do fight again, I… I will not show any mercy next time, Edelgard.”

Defeated, the imperial revolt troops’ retreat is messy and bloody, as they find their retreat cut off by the Knights of Seiros, who had just put down the demonic beasts unleashed by Thales. The leaders of the imperial revolt troops and Those Who Slither In The Dark, seeing no longer any reason to remain behind, warps away both, disappearing from the battlefield. The imperial revolt’s assault on Garreg Mach Monastery has today been crushed in a resounding victory for the Church, and yet Edelgard can feel no glory in this.

Standing alone upon the emptied battlefield, littered with corpses and coloured red by the pools of blood left behind by the carnage, Edelgard gazes up into the setting sun. The bleeding has slowed with the administration of the limited healing magic she knows, but her body is nevertheless left chilled with the amount of blood she has lost. Indeed, the battle against her former confidant has brought her to the brink of death. But even then, it is not the dire injuries she had sustained in the battle that torments her and predominates the screeching and pounding within her head, threatening to paralyze her with agony. No, rather, it is the grief of loss, turning her sinking heart to stone, and the unshakable solitude of losing her beloved family, that imprisons her, drowning her with sorrow. 

It is the grief of having lost the love of her mother that makes Edelgard wish she would simply perish with the dying light of the setting sun.

**Author's Note:**

> My 100th fic, and it's Rheadelgard content... I really hope that once the semester starts I'll still have time to keep writing cause I really want to ride this Rheadelgard ship all the way out.


End file.
